Sure as the Stars
by stardust and pinstripebowties
Summary: Big Ears never told her he bloody regenerates? Great. Now, Donna Noble deals with this new Doctor. New Earths and alien attacks and girls in flippin' fireplaces and alternative universes and - oh, he takes her to the craziest places and she has to do the most ridiculous things! Donna is traveling with The Doctor through the stars. (Basically, what if Donna was in series two?)
1. The Christmas Invasion

**author's note/disclaimer:** I've been wanting to so this for a while, actually. Because I'm a huggeee DoctorDonna shipper and no one has done this yet. At least from what I've seen. If someone else wrote Donna in series 2, send me it, I would love to read it!

This is all of series 2, with Donna. Obviously. No Rose. She will however be mentioned in the first chapter. Maybe some later ones. So no Rose angst or anything.

So, I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

 **Sure as the Stars**  
 **Chapter One**  
 **The Christmas Invasion**

* * *

"What happened?" Donna groans, lifting her head up.

"Don't you remember?" he immediately asks, glancing over at her.

She glares up at The Doctor, who's standing by the console, "Obviously not. You couldn't even bovver to place me in my bed? Just let me rest on the bleedin' floor?" she starts to get up when he just grins at her, no reply, "...Rose said there was a singing. My head hurt."

"Yeah, that's right. I sang a song and the Daleks ran away. And you just happened to have a headache," he replies cheerfully.

Donna glares, "Oi, watch it," she shakes her head, trying to make sense, "I was at home. Wait, no, I wasn't. I was in the TARDIS. No, but then Rose - my head _really_ hurt. Why the hell can't I remember anything else?"

"Don't know," he responds, a bit slower than the last time.

And she knows he's not listening, and she knows he knows why she can't remember anything else. She just sighs lightly, "And where's Rose? Did you ever get a good kiss from her?"

He beams at her with a big grin at her with a bright smile and his big ears perk up, and she gets her answer from the last question. Good for him.

"She saved us. Looked into the heart of the TARDIS. She's alright, now. She's home. Oh, isn't she fantastic?"

Donna smiles, "Yeah, she is."

He pauses for a moment, before saying, "Donna Noble," he gives a small chuckle and she shuts her mouth and narrows her eyes, "I was gonna take you to so many places. Barcelona. Not the city Barcelona, the _planet_ Barcelona. You'd love it, fantastic place! They got dogs with no noses!" he laughs at himself and she can't help but crack her own smile, "Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke and it's _still_ funny!" he lets out a laugh again.

She smiles a little, but narrows her eyes, "You're ramblin', sunshine. Why can't we just go?"

"Maybe you will. Maybe I will. But not like this," he gives her a smile and turns back to the screen on the console, with a little hum.

"Huh? You're not makin' sense!" she glares, getting annoyed, "And that's saying a lot!"

"I might never make sense again. I might have two heads! Or no head!" he lets out a laugh again, apparently finding himself so amusing, "Imagine me with no head!"

"Well, it's an im - "

"And don't say that's an improvement," he smiles at her again. She can't get rid of the feeling her stomach, like something bad is going to happen, "It's a bit dodgy, this process. You never know what you'll end up with."

"What pr - "

She's interrupted by The Doctor. He glows gold for a moment, a buzzing sound rings out and he's pushed back by some kind of force that seems so strong and painful, he has to hold his stomach.

As soon as it happens she immediately goes to run by his side, "Doctor!"

"Stay away!" he orders, holding a hand out.

"Yeah, right!" she goes to march up (because she is _not_ going to leave this edit alone while he's in pain) but he flinches away in pain and commands her to stay away from her. As if she's some _pet_ , "Doctor, tell me what's going on!"

He's still holding his stomach, "I absorbed all the energy in the Time Vortex for Rose," he grimaces in pain and gives her a smile, "No one's meant to do that," then he clinches his teeth in pain, "Every cell in my body's dying."

"No!" she shakes her head, she doesn't want to believe it, "Do something! Why can't you do something?"

"Yeah, doing it now," he remarks, "Time Lords have this little trick. It's..." he sucks in a sharp breath, "it's sort of a way of cheatin' death."

"So don't scare me like that, you're _not_ dying!"

" _Except_ this body is, you know that. Just don't wanna believe it. It means I'm gonna change," he shakes his head sadly, "And I'm not gonna see you again. Not with this daft old face," he gives her another smile and she realizes he gave her a lot of those since she woke up, "And before I go - "

" _Don't_ you go sayin' that!" she warns. She's shaking a little, she realizes.

"Donna," he looks up at her, "...before I go I just wanna tell you...you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic!" she feels tears burn her vision. He tilts his head, and sends that great big, brilliant smile of his, "And d'you know what? So was I."

She nods her head, giving him a little smile. And he smiles back. And she likes to think for a moment it is all going to be okay.

But then in a second he jerks back, head back and arms thrown out and he's doing that _glowing_ again. It's sparking out of him. His hands and face. She covers her face at first, shocked by the amount of brightness. But then she lowers her arm, staring at him. Missing him already.

Her eyes narrow, she's noticing something. She can't see much with his head thrown back but is his face changing? No, it can't be!

And then, when it all stops, the man in front of her is _not_ The Doctor.

He has puppy-dog brown eyes and he's got so much bloody hair. He's too skinny. He's a random man! _And he's just standing in the TARDIS_.

"OH. MY. GOD!" she shrieks.

He looks at her with these stupid brown eyes, "Hello!" He's bloody British too! He looks away, narrows his stupid face and purses his stupid lips together, "New teeth. That's weird. So where was I?" he looks back at her, as if he was surprised she was actually speechless. He smirks, and he looks so bloody proud of himself, "Oh, that's right! Barcelona!" and he pronounces it likes its something so new and grand, popping the B.

He gives her a stupid, goofy smile too.

.~.

"Six P.M. Tuesday. October. Five thousand and _six_..." this _stranger_ is playing with the buttons on the TARDIS console. As if he knows what he's doing, "On our way to Barcelona," he turns to her, smiling. As if he knows her.

"Uh-huh."

She's not listening, though. Too busy staring. Staring at this new man who's pressing buttons and pushing levers. The outfit looks too big on his stick body.

"Now then, what do I look like?" he smiles wide, turning to her, "No, no, no, no, no. No, no. Don't tell me. Now, let's see. Two legs. Two arms. Two hands. Slight weakness in the dorsal tubical," he runs his hands though that thick hair of his and gasps in delight, "Hair! I'm not bald! Ooh, big hair," he traces his sideburns and ears, "Sideburns, I've got sideburns!" he nearly squeals, "Or really bad skin," he pats his stomach, "Little bit thinner, that's weird. Give me time I'll get used to it," he stops rambling for a moment and she opens her mouth but then he straightens his shoulders, "I...have got...a mole. I can feel it, between my shoulder blades. That's alright, love the mole!" he smiles at her, "Go on then, tell me. Whatdaya think? Ooh - "

God, is he _still_ talking?

She reaches out and slaps him across the face so hard he almost falls over.

"STOP YAPPING!" she screams.

"OW!" he shrieks, "What was that for, Donna?! My new face, too! Oh, _ow_! Blimey, you can slap!" he shuts his eyes tightly, groaning. She sees a red mark start to flush the cheek she slapped.

"WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED? Who the hell are you?!" she questions, her voice raising, and she feels her face flush as she curls her hands together.

He hisses in pain before squeaking out, "I'm The Doctor!"

She curls her lip, "If you don't give me an honest answer I _will_ slap you so hard you'll fly out of this TARDIS! Where is he? Where is The Doctor? What have you done to him, you...you skinny twig!"

"You saw me!" he insists, his voice high and squeaky, "I - I changed! Right in front of you!"

And God help her he sounds so honest and small and nervous and innocent. He looks it, too.

She shakes, "I saw him sort of, oh, I dunno! Burst? Explode? And then _you_ , sunshine, just replaced him! Is this some kind of teleport thing? Or a transmit? Body swap?" she rambles on, "And you suddenly show up, thinking you know me, the adventures we were on? I saw Charles Dickens on Christmas with _ghosts_! And Slitheen," she lets out a loud, long gasp, "Oh my God. Are you a Slitheen?"

He shakes his head, softly, "I am not a Slitheen," she hates how soft his voice is now, "...And they technically weren't ghosts."

Donna glares, "Send him _back_. I'm warning you, mate. Send The Doctor back RIGHT NOW!"

"Donna! It's me. It's honestly me!" Even through her slap and yelling he doesn't snap at her, let's her rage and wonder, "I was dying. To save my own life, I changed my body, every single cell, but it's still me."

" _Bollocks_. You can't be!"

"But how can I remember this?" he moves towards her, and she hates it. Hates how close he is and how familiar he feels, "The first time I met you it was Christmas. 2005. You almost turned me down," he looks down at her hand and slowly takes it. She tenses. He holds on a little tighter, "You said I needed someone. And you were right. You. I needed you. I _still_ need you."

He meets her eyes and she searches them, she feels her eyes well with tears.

"Oh my God," she snatches her hand away, his hand suddenly felt like fire, "Doctor?"

He smiles at her, "Hello."

"How is this possible? You just _grow_ body?" she slaps his arm, and shrieks again, "WHY WASN'T I TOLD THIS?! HOW DOES THIS EVEN HAPPEN?! This doesn't _make_ _sense_!"

He cries out, "Donna I told you - "

But she keeps going on, asking questions. Eventually, he explains everything. Or tries to, anyways.

After he's done speaking to her, _The Doctor_ runs to the console. Donna leans against a piece of the TARDIS, seething because this isn't possible, this can't be her Doctor and her Doctor changes and he _never thought to mention it to her during all the time they spent together_.

"We never stop, do we?" he beams, too loud and too full of sudden adrenaline, "All across the universe! Running, running! And that one time we had to hop? Do you remember? You kept screaming at me. Hopping, hopping, hopping!" he hops on a foot, "Hopping for our lives! Yeah? Remember hopping for our lives? Hop, with the..." but she's not smiling or laughing. He stops, "No?"

She shakes her head a little and mutters, "No."

He frowns at her, looking down at his console.

"Can you change back?"

"Do you want me to?"

"Yup."

"Oh."

"Can you?"

"No. 'Course you being brilliant, you already knew that."

She doesn't smirk or tell him to stop sucking up or tell him he's just a daft spaceman. Just stares at him.

"Do you want to leave?"

"Do you want me to?"

"No!" came out a bit quick, if you ask her, "...but, your choice if you wanna go home."

She purses her lips, averting her gaze on him. When she looks up back up, he looks so so sad and so disappointed and so _heartbroken_. Or heartsbroken.

He pauses, "Cancel Barcelona," he starts changing the settings. His voice is soft and slow, "Change to London, Chiswick. Ah, let's say 24th December. Consider it a Christmas present, Donna Noble."

"I'm going home?" she almost gasps, stunned.

His folds his arms across his chest, "Up to you. Back to granddad. And your mum. All waiting."

"Yeah, I know," she actually doesn't mean to sound so cold and harsh.

He doesn't take notice of her snap, "Fish and chips, sausage on mash, beans and toast. No, Christmas!" he exclaims and she jumps, "Turkey! Your mother will make so much food! Enough for twenty!"

Donna shakes her head, feeling her lips twitch upwards a bit.

"...Was that a smile, Donna Noble?"

Her gaze falls to the floor, "Nope."

He grins, "That was a smile."

"Oh, shut up."

"I've always loved your smile."

When she goes to argue. His knuckles are on his chin, staring at her with this _really_ stupid smile. And he stares at her like he's in some type of trance.

" _Wot_?" she blinks rapidly.

"Never told you that before, have I? That I love your smile."

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"That. Telling me this. Trying to make me - "

"Make you?"

"Stop flattering me, nothing's gonna work on me, sunshine."

He narrows his eyes, "Oh, Donna - " he suddenly lets out a pained noise.

Donna's eyes widen, "Wot?"

He coughs and lets out various, 'aghs' and 'ughs'.

"Uh-oh."

"'Uh-oh'? Why're you sayin' uh-oh, you're not gonna burst again, are you?"

He backs away, staring at nothing and lets out a breath, a trail of gold air leaving his mouth. It looks like the stuff that changed him, "The change is going about wrong - " he lets out something between a cough and a gag and a breath leaving his lungs. He lands on his knees.

"Oh, you have got to be kiddin' me. Great. Just what we need. Maybe we can go back. Go find Captain Jack, maybe he'll know what to do?"

"Gah!" he shakes his head, "He's busy!"

She glares, "Doing _wot_?"

"He's got plenty to do rebuilding the Earth!"

"Oh!" she suddenly remembers and huffs, "You ditched him back there! Left him all alone!"

" _We_ did!"

"No, _I_ was unconscious! You decided to just leave him!"

"Is this really the time to talk about this?!" he groans.

"Fine!" she huffs, "What do we do?"

He suddenly flicks a switch that sends them both hitting the console.

"Oi!" she moves her hair from her face, "What are you doing?!"

"Giving us a bit of speed! That's it!" he's pulling levers and pushing stuff, "Oh, my beautiful ship! Come on, faster there girl!"

"KNOCK IT OFF."

He looks at Donna and she wishes he'd just pass out the moment. He looks so so so hyper, "Ready to go faster? Wanna break the time limit?"

"No!"

And then they're flying faster.

"STOP IT!" she yells.

"Oh, don't be so dull, let's have a bit of fun!"

"DULL?!"

"Let's _rip_ through that Vortex!" his eyes go wide, "Regeneration is going on," he groans, "Ah! My head!" he places his head down and then he jolts up, eyes wide and crazy and he's taking like a madman, "Faster!"

"WOT?!"

And he yells something so fast she can't understand it. And then a bell rings. She hates bells, "What's that?!" He just laughs and moves back to his position, "What is it?!" And he yells something that she doesn't hear, "Are you _trying_ to kill us?!"

"Ooh, here we go!" he grins at her and she feels absolutely terrified, "Merry Christmas Eve!"

.~.

* * *

.~.

"Donna doesn't like Christmas, you know," Wilfred mumbles to Sylvia, watching her place some more ornaments on the tree they had just brought.

"She's probably not even going to show up!" Sylvia whips around, annoyed, "She's been gone so bloody long! And if she does show up, she'll just happen to arrive on the day she hates!"

Wilf sighs, looking at his hands. He misses his Donna. Misses her everyday. But she's happy. She's seeing the stars and planets and space and time and she's happy.

Sylvia keeps going on. This and that. Doctor this. Donna that.

But then he hears it.

"Wait, wait, shush!" he holds out his hand and they both listen carefully.

And there's that sound, _oh_ , that sound!

"Donna?" Sylvia mutters, eyes going wide.

"Donna!" Wilf laughs and they're both up, running outside, holding each other's arms, looking in the sky for that blue box.

"She's alive!" Sylvia exclaims in shock.

"I knew it!" Wilf beams, "Our Donna! She's coming back!"

Sylvia looks around, "Where is it, then? Where's the - the..."

"TARDIS," Wilf reminds, the sound is still ringing out, but no TARDIS.

And then it's there, zooms out of the sky. But then it's mad, flinging side by side and bumping into everything that's sold. It zooms over them and they duck, Sylvia lets out a scream. It spins and bumps some more, letting out a sound like a hot kettle. It lets out that sound again after it lands. Then the door opens, and a man comes out. He's young, too. He's wearing a black shirt and a black leather jacket. Like The Doctor would.

"...Does she have a type or something?" Sylvia mumbles, staring at the man.

He leans against the door, out of breath, staring all around.

But where's Donna?

"Here we are then! London, Earth! Solar system! We did it!" he announces. He stumbles out of the TARDIS, spinning around and staring. He faces them and they stare at him with wide eyes. He does the same and gasps, "Wilf. Sylvia. Blimey!" he stumbles back, pointing, "No, no, hold on. What was I gonna say?" he walks around them, and they follow his movements, speechless, "There's something I had to tell you. Something important, what was it?" he grips their shoulders, thinking, "No, no. Hold on, hold on! Shh, shh, shh. OH!" at that shout, Wilf jumps, "I know!" he looks at them both, breathing heavily. He shoots Wilf a big, goofy grin, "Merry Christmas!"

And he collapses.

Wilf tries to catch him but he can't, so he drops to the floor, on his back. They both kneel to him, checking to see if he's alright.

"Oh, _finally_!"

They look up and see Donna, leaning by the TARDIS. Safe and sound. Her face is flushed bright red and she looks absolutely exhausted.

"Donna!"

She looks up from the strange man and she smiles so wide and tears well up, "Gramps!" she runs to him, arms open and hugs him tightly.

She's back! He has his Donna back! They break apart and she hugs her mum, who's still stunned.

"Donna, sweetheart, who is he?" Wilf frowns down at the man, "Where's The Doctor?"

Donna looks down at the man, her face suddenly grim, "That's him. That's The Doctor," she looks at their faces, "Yeah. I know."

Sylvia narrows her eyes, "What do you mean that's The Doctor? Doctor who?"

.~.

"Regeneration?" Wilf repeats, he and Donna are carrying The Doctor back home. His arms are draped over their shoulders. Sylvia is leading the way, talking to herself.

Donna nods, "Mhmm. Thought it was some sick joke. But no Gramps, it's him."

"I hope he'll be okay. I've got so questions for him!" Wilf smiles, very happy when she chuckles, "He can borrow some of my clothes if you want."

"Yeah," she looks down at The Doctor and back at him, "I missed you. Sorry I didn't call in a while."

"It's alright, darling. You were happy."

.~.

* * *

.~.

"Get some water, maybe tea. Blankets and all. And there's a pair of stethoscopes around here, right? I need to undress him. Leather's not good, he's gonna burn up," Donna says as soon as she enters the room where The Doctor needs to rest. Her mum and granddad leave to get everything. Donna sighs loudly and shuts the door, rolling her eyes at the alien in her arms, "Can't believe you just collapsed," she mumbles, "And now _I've_ got to undress you. Don't be getting any ideas, Spaceman."

She leans him up against the bed and stares at him for a moment. Still processing that _this_ apparently is The Doctor. She sighs, strips off his leather jacket, and tosses it onto a chair. She takes off his shirt, and doesn't stare. Not much _to_ stare at, really.

But of course, he ends up leaning forward somehow, pressing his limp body up against hers, his face pressed in her hair.

"I said no ideas," she rolls her eyes, gently pushing him back. She fumbles him into the jammies with lots of cursing, huffing, and averting her eyes. It's such a bloody pain, God, he's even infuriating even when he's unconscious. After all his old clothes are off, she stands up, tossing her hair over her shoulder and rubs her face.

Gramps comes back, with a black dressing robe. He glances at them both and Donna narrows her eyes. He better not be implying something. He tosses the robe against a chair. She's still putting the jammies on him, grumbling to herself.

"Were you two ever together?"

Donna whips around, "Oh God no, me and Dumbo Ears?" she turns back around, "He fancied this girl named Rose we met. Now, _those_ two were gonna be together."

"You were good together," he nudges his head to this new Doctor, "Maybe you and him will - "

"Gramps!" Donna gapes at him, "Not gonna happen. I don't fancy aliens. Nor aliens who go changing themselves either."

When Gramps leaves, Sylvia comes back with a stethoscope and hands it to Donna, and places two mugs of tea on the desk, "I still say we should take him to hospital."

"We can't," Donna sighs, putting the buds of the stethoscope in her ears, "They'd lock him up. Dissect him. One bottle of his blood could change the future of the human race," her mum went to argue, "No! Zip it!" Carefully, Donna leans over The Doctor and listens to his heart. Satisfied, she slides the stethoscope over to the other side of his chest and listens to the other one. She sighs in relief, "They're both working."

Sylvia stares at her daughter, "What do you mean, both?"

"He's got two hearts."

"Oh, don't be so stupid!" Sylvia scowls.

Donna pulls a face, "Why would I lie, exactly? He has!"

She remembers when he first told her, just out of the blue. _Oh, Donna. Look at that! Two hearts. Did I ever tell you? Two hearts, pretty cool, right?_

"He hasn't got two of - "

"Oi, leave him alone," Donna quickly warns, her mum interrupting her muses. Donna stands up and grabs her cuppa. She and her mum walk out, leaving him be.

As soon as they leave, The Doctor unconsciously exhales another cloud of golden vapor. It goes through the glass window, wandering, but then soon enough, its roaming deeply through dark space.

.~.

"How can he just go changing his face? Is that a different face or is he a different person?" Sylvia questions, "Does he just take a face and go with it? Just picks it out?"

"How should I know?" Donna snaps and angrily takes a sip of her tea, glaring at nothing, "It's so alien! He's not human! Not that hard to forget. Can't believe he does this to me. Wanker," she storms into the living room where Gramps is. She goes to relax but her eyes widen at the telly, "Wait, hold on, is that Harriet Jones? Why's she on the telly?"

"She's Prime Minister now," Wilf informs her, "They're calling it 'Britain's Golden Age'. I keep on saying my Donna has met her."

"Did more than just meet her," Donna remarks, "Stopped World War Three with her!"

Harriet is standing behind a podium addressing a packed press conference. Two large Union Flags are placed at each side of her. There's journalists and reporters, each one is raising his or her hand feverishly to ponder her with questions.

 _"Prime Minister, what about those calling the Guinevere One space probe a waste of money?"_ one man asks.

 _"Now, that's where you're wrong. I_ completely _disagree if you don't mind,"_ Donna grins, _"The Guinevere One space probe represents this country's limitless ambition. British workmanship sailing up there among the stars."_

The image cuts to footage of the press conference when the project's leader, Daniel Llewellyn starts speaking. He's a thin man, small and timid, with a completely bald head and a contrastingly bushy dark brown beard, _"This is the spirit of Christmas, birth and rejoicing, and the dawn of a new age, and that is what we're achieving fifteen million miles away. Our very own miracle!"_

The news report cuts to a graphical representation of Guinevere One's intended flight path as the news reporter explains what is happening.

 _"The unmanned probe Guinevere One is about to make it's final descent. Photographs of the Martian Landscape should be received by midnight tonight."_

.~.

* * *

 _.~._

In the darkness of space, the real Guinevere One travels along its specially programmed flight path.

Then, a colossal chunk of rock drifts into its way. The probe bounces off the vast structure and begins drift away. A hatch opens up close to the bottom of the rock face, a warm orange glow emitting from its core.

Guinevere One gets sucked inside.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Donna and Wilf walk around the market, Wilf had insisted. Donna agreed, she wanted to leave the house, even if it was for Christmas. Being with Gramps was always great, too. She's dressed in a new pair of black boots, some dark jeans, a red long sleeved shirt, and a coat, zipped up, over it. She glances over at a brass band dressed in Santa robes. They're playing 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' around the large Christmas tree that had been erected in the centre of the market.

People are smiling and laughing, enjoying Christmas shopping and the festive atmosphere.

She rolls her eyes, the songs, the people, the lights, _everything_. How could anyone stand this holiday?

"So what do you need? Want to buy anything for yourself?" Wilf asks, pulling out some money.

Donna shakes her head, "No. That's yours. Buy whatever you want, I have some money. I just need to find something for Mum," she looks around, "You just forget about Christmas and things in the TARDIS. Traveling and all. Forgetting Christmas is good though," she ends up talking about the TARDIS and The Doctor. Of gas creatures and galaxies that he took her. When she realizes she was going on she sighs, "Why didn't you stop me?"

Wilf smiles, shaking his head, "I don't mind. Love seeing you happy."

Donna shakes her head. As she does, her attention turns to the brass band. Wait, they're wearing _full face_ Santa masks? Well, isn't that wizard. How were they even able to play their instruments? She can't see mouth or eye holes. Is this something normal?

No, it's just a normal brass band. In a normal market.

Just.

Everyone around her has logic and reason. But to her, nothing is never _just_ anything anymore.

The brass band stops playing. Each of them stands in line with one another, their instruments held at chest height. Donna stops and stares at them. Something's definitely wrong.

Fire suddenly erupts from the trombone. Terrified shoppers flee in all directions, Donna grips onto Wilf and they find shelter behind a stall.

"It's us! They're after us!" Donna huffs, " _Great_!"

The trombonist finds them again and they flee as fire and shots from the smaller instruments follows after them, one of the stalls exploding in a shower of sparks as it takes a direct hit. God, when she thought she couldn't hate Christmas more! Bloody masked Santas attacking her with flippin' instruments!

"What's going on?" Wilf panics as they run, "What've we done? Why are they after us?"

"OI, TAXI!" Donna shouts, not answering him. They scramble in, Donna turns to him, gathering her breath, "You alright, Gramps? You're not hurt?"

He shakes his head, "No. You alright?"

"Yeah. They're after The Doctor, obviously. I can't even go shopping with you and we get attacked by a brass band. Great," she scoffs.

"You gonna phone Sylvia?" Wilf asks when he sees Donna pull out her mobile.

Donna nods, dialing the number and puts the phone to her ear, but all she gets is an engaged dial up tone and that bloody stupid annoying voice message telling her that the line's busy.

.~.

* * *

.~.

"She turns up, no warning. I've got nothing in. I cannot believe her!" Sylvia natters, bringing a cuppa for the Doctor, "Oh, no. Don't come round, No, the house's all messy. Yeah, because of Donna, she just barges in and litters the place. Yeah. No, I'll come round soon."

Sylvia leaves the room, and doesn't see The Doctor exhale another cloud of golden vapor.

.~.

* * *

.~.

"Oh, get off the bloody phone!" Donna shouts, beyond pissed.

"Who were those Santa things?" Wilf eyes her with wide eyes.

"Don't know why you think I know," she shrugs, letting out a breath.

"What's important about us?"

Donna shrugs, "Well, nothing, except we have The Doctor, last of his kind, great bloody Time Lord. Unconscious in jammies in bed at home."

They burst into the house as soon as they arrive, Donna groans when she sees her mum is still on the phone, "Get off the phone!" she runs into the living room.

"It's only Tracy! She says hi," Sylvia scowls, tutting when Donna snatches the phone off her.

"Tracy? Yeah, bye," Donna hangs the phone before turning back to Wilf and Sylvia, "It's not safe here. We've got to get out. Where can we go?"

Wilf names a good flat they can rent and Donna agrees.

Sylvia snaps, rounding on them, "No, it's Christmas Eve! We're not going anywhere! What're you babbling about?"

"Look, I'll explain - " Donna stops talking when she gets a glimpse of a tree. A Christmas tree. A _new_ one. Now, she's not a fan of Christmas, but she knows that they always use that 'big, grand, marvelous' (as Gramp's describes it) tree with the largest ornaments and gold lights and silver strings of tinsel and large, golden bells. Gramps is always so crazy for this holiday, "Mum. Where'd you get that tree?"she glares at it, it stands innocently in the corner of the living room, "That's a new tree. Where'd you get it?"

"I thought it was you," Sylvia admits.

Donna narrows her eyes, "How can it _possibly_ be me?"

"Well, you went shopping! There was a ring at the door, and there it was!"

"Noooo, that wasn't me."

"Then who was it?"

All three of them are staring at the tree now.

And then, completely on their own, the tree's lights light up, as 'Jingle Bells' begins playing from somewhere inside it.

"Oh, you've got to be kiddin' me," Donna breathes out.

Sections of the tree rotate in different directions, creating a strong gust of wind as it picks up speed. It separates itself from the wire tethering it to the plug socket, and it begins to advance towards them. There is an ear splitting splintering sound as it slices through the coffee table.

"Get out! Go, go! Get out!" Wilf shouts, pushing Sylvia and Donna out of the living room and picking up one of the dining chairs to fend off the tree.

Donna dives into the bedroom where The Doctor is and makes a frustrated noise. Why hasn't he woken yet?! "We've got to save The Doctor!"

"What're you doing?" her mother shouts from the doorway.

Donna shakes him, trying to be gentle, "Did you not just hear me? We can't just leave him!"

"Dad!" Sylvia yells, looking back towards the living room. The tree is shredding the chair legs and Wilf is struggling to keep hold as it jerks and jolts, "Leave it! Get out! Get out!"

Wilf rushes back into the bedroom. With a sudden scream, Sylvia shuts the door just as the tree smashes through the living room. Wilf and Sylvia pull a wardrobe across the door. They back away and Donna looks back down towards The Doctor.

"Oi, Doctor, wake up!" she roars.

Running over to the Doctor's jacket that had been slung over the edge of the bed, Donna rummages through the pockets, cursing, until she finds the sonic screwdriver. She places it in his hand, waiting for something to happen.

Nothing. No reaction at all.

Of course not. It's her lucky day!

With a loud _crash!_ the tree smashes straight through the door and the wardrobe and into the room.

"I'm going to get killed by a Christmas tree!" Sylvia cries, cowering in the far corner as the Christmas tree advances towards her.

Desperate, Donna rests her hand on top of The Doctor's that holds the screwdriver, panicking, "Oh come on, help me, Spaceman!"

The Doctor sits up immediately and aims the sonic screwdriver at the tree. Donna is, too. Since he jolted up so quickly she barely had any time to react, their hands are both on the sonic, pointing at the tree. She feels quite awesome with the sonic in her hand if she's being honest.

Then the tree explodes. Donna sighs in relief.

"Remote control," The Doctor states quietly, "But who's controlling it?"

His brown eyes widen when he feels a weight on his hand. He gazes down at Donna's hand on his and snaps up, meeting her eyes. They both look at their hands again and flush, pulling back. The Doctor quickly springs out of bed, snatching the dressing gown on his way out of the room.

.~.

Dressing gown now on, he leads Donna, Wilf, and Sylvia outside. In front of them, but far away enough, three of the Santas from the market gaze at them. One is holding a radio controller.

"That's them," Wilf nods, glancing back at The Doctor and the Santas.

"What are they?" Sylvia demands, a little too loudly.

The Doctor aims his sonic screwdriver at them and the Santas take a step back. They're enveloped in a bright blue light, all three transport away as the light shoots up into the sky.

"They've just gone," Donna scoffs, "What kind of rubbish were they? They're not much if a screwdriver's gonna scare them off. Just came to give us a scare, that it? _Dressed as Santas_?"

"Pilot fish," is all The Doctor says.

"Wot?"

"They were just pilot fish."

Suddenly his face contorts in pain. He doubles over and grips a part of the porch. Sitting down on the ground with his back to it, the others all crouch down besides him.

Donna scans his face, her eyes wide in worriment, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"You woke me up too soon," he pauses, grimacing.

Donna retorts, "Oh, so it's my fault?"

The Doctor slowly shakes his head, letting out an annoyed breath, "I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy," to prove his point he lets a cloud of golden vapor, "You see? The pilot fish could smell it, a million miles away. So they eliminate the defense, that's you lot, and they carry me off. They could run their batteries on me for a couple of yea - ow!"

"Oh!" Sylvia gasps when The Doctor clings to her arm, his grip surprisingly strong and tight.

"My head!" he hisses, "I'm having a neuron implosion. I need - "

Donna cuts in, "What, what is it?"

"Say it. Tell her, tell her. Go on, Doctor," Sylvia adds on quickly.

"I need - "

The Doctor's trying to tell, but its impossible to get a word out when both of the Nobles are going back and forth. He goes to point to his head instead.

"Painkillers? Asprin?" Donna guesses.

He shakes his head at her, "I need - "

"Codeine? Paracetamol? I think we have some, Pepto-Bismol?"

He shakes his furiously at the last one, "I need - "

"Liquid paraffin!" Sylvia pips in.

Donna raises her eye brows, "Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E? What, Doctor?"

"I need - "

"Is it food?" Sylvia tries, "Bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? I'm making dinner for Christmas, what else do you need?"

"I need you to shut up," The Doctor finally tells them, shakily regaining his speech.

"He hasn't changed that much, has he?" Sylvia snaps, insulted.

"We haven't got much time. If there's pilot fish, then - " The Doctor stops and jerks and doubles over again, falling against the wall of the house and slides down to the ground, "Argh! Brain collapsing," he reaches for Donna'a arm and intertwines his hand through hers. She flinches at his surprisingly strong grip. He pulls her in close, looking her in the eye, and he's doing this stupid thing where his shaky fingers are tracing her hand, as if to calm himself down. 'Cos she's great at calming people down, "The pilot fish. The pilot fish mean that something..." he's struggling to get something out, "...something...something is coming."

Then he passes out.

.~.

Donna brings the suffering Doctor to bed, lays the blanket at his waist and tries to calm his fever with a damp cloth. He's sweating and shaking and absolutely awful.

"It's midnight. Christmas day," Sylvia says to Wilf, just as Donna comes into the living room.

Wilf turns to Donna, "Any change?"

Donna shakes her head, sighing, "He's just gotten worse, Gramps. Only one heart beatin'."

They whirl over to the telly, where the news is covering Guinevere One's landing.

 _"Scientists in charge of Britain's mission to Mars have re-established contact with the Guinevere One space probe. They're expecting the first transmission from the planet's surface in the next few minutes,"_ a news reporter announces.

The image cuts to the live press conference where Llewellyn is answering questions, _"Yes, we are,"_ he answers, sounding very flustered, _"We're back on schedule. We've received the signal from Guinevere One. The Mars landing would seem to be an unqualified success."_

One reporter chimes in, _"But is it true that you completely lost contact earlier tonight?"_

 _"Yes, we had a bit of a scare. Guinevere seemed to fall off the scope, but it - it was just a blip. Only disappeared for a few seconds,"_ Llewellyn insists, _"She is fine now, absolutely fine. We're getting the first pictures transmitted live any minute now. I'd better get back to it, thanks."_

Wilf shakes his head, with a 'tsk', "Iit's probably them aliens!" he turns to Donna, "What now, sweetheart?"

Donna unzips her coat, "The Doctor said pilot fish. I've seen something like this! The Doctor told me. As we ran. Away from the pilot fish. Pilot fish are kind of like little scavengers. Harmless. They're tiny."

"So that's good, right?" Sylvia calls over her shoulder.

"No. My point is the little fish swim alongside the big fish."

Wilf pauses for a moment, "You mean like sharks?"

"Sort of, yeah. Basically, we had them, now we get the shark...I guess."

"Funny sort of rocks," Sylvia comments, still facing the telly.

Donna glances over at her, "Mum. Is it really the time to - "

The telly suddenly statics and cuts to the live pictures of the Martian landscape. The image was at first nothing but static.

"They're not rocks?" Wilf guesses, seeing the look of realization on Donna's face. She has seen too much, knew too much to know the difference between rocks and a face.

A news reporter cuts in, _"This image is being transmitted via mission control, coming live from the depths of space on Christmas morning."_

As the image cleared properly, a red-eyed, alien, with a head like a cow's skull, lunged towards the camera with a threatening growl.

At the action, all three of them jump back, startled.

As soon as the footage ends, reporters and news channels start discussing the alien face.

"Oh my God!" Sylvia gasps, "That was an alien! Another real alien!"

Of course she immediately dashes to grab the phone, going on to her friends about what she had just encountered on the telly.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Major Richard Blake and Llewellyn enter a building that extends further underground than where any tourist would ever visit. They enter Unified Intelligence Task Force''s UK operation. Llewellyn can't help but stop and stare at the operation around him, the focus of which looked to be surrounding the image on the large screen, which is showing Earth with something registering not to far away from it. A signal? A satellite? Guinevere one?

He follows Major Blake towards the offices and quieter rooms at the opposite end of the basement.

A young man with dark hair, dressed in a sharp black suit has a handsfree device attached to his left ear, emitting a small, soft blue pulse of light every few seconds.

Beside him, with her back to him, is Harriet Jones.

As she turns around, she shows her ID card and flashes it at Llewellyn, "Harriet Jones, Prime Minister."

"Yes," Llewellyn replies, with a shift, "I know who you are. I suppose I've ruined your Christmas."

"Never off duty," she swiftly tells him, "Now, we've put out a cover story. Alex has been handling it," she indicates to the young man beside her.

"We've said it was a hoax. Some sort of mask or prosthetics. Students hijacking the signal, that sort of thing," Alex explains.

"Alex is my right hand man. I'm not used to having a right hand man. I quite like it though," Harriet adds, flashing Alex a smile.

Alex returns the smile, "I quite like it myself."

"I don't suppose there's any chance it was a hoax?" Llewellyn asks, half-heartedly.

"That would be nice, then we could all go home. I don't suppose anyone's offered you a coffee?" Harriet asks, going over to the coffee machine to make him one.

"No," Llewellyn begins.

"But no, the transmission was genuine," she continues, handing him a cup of coffee, "And this seems to be a new species of alien. At least, not one we've encountered before."

Llewellyn scrunches his eyebrows, confused, "You seem to be talking about aliens as a matter of fact."

"There's an Act of Parliament banning my autobiography."

"Prime Minister," Major Blake returns, standing outside the door, indicating to be followed.

Harriet nods, "I'm with you," she follows him out with Alex and Llewellyn following her.

Major Blake walks over to a blonde woman sitting by a computer, "Miss Jacobs will explain," the woman stands up as soon as she sees Harriet.

Harriet stands tall, "I don't think we've been introduced. Harriet Jones, Prime Minister."

"Yes, ma'am. I know who you are," Miss Jacobs smiles politely, "The transmission didn't come from the surface of Mars. Guinevere One was broadcasting from a point five thousand miles _above_ the planet," she explains to everyone.

"In other words, they've got a ship and the probe is on board," Major Blake adds.

"But if they're not from the surface, then they might not be from Mars itself. Maybe they're not actual Martians," Llewellyn adds on.

"Of course not. Martians look completely different," Major Blake says dryly, "We think the ship was in flight when they just came across the probe."

Miss Jacobs turns to her computer, "And they're moving. The ship's still in flight now. We've got it on the Hubble array."

"Moving in which direction?" Harriet asks, now watching the signal of the probe on huge the screen intently, but deep down she knows the answer.

"Towards us."

"How fast?"

"Very fast."

"What was your name again?" Harriet asks, still not taking her eyes off the screen.

"Sally," she answers.

"Thank you, Sally."

Guinevere One is returning to Earth. Harriet's worried about who and what it's going to bring with it.

.~.

Only a few minutes later, the image on the screen scatters and becomes static.

Then, four of the aliens appear. Same kind. Horned skull, glowing red eyes, dressed in red robes and various pieces of what looks like bones and hair hanging down from their leather guards. The leader of the alien holds a large staff in one hand and a whip in the other. There is a compact crossbow hanging from his belt. He begins speaking, the language low and guttural with numerous growls and hisses that they can't understand.

Everyone watches intently.

Major Blake turns to Alex, "Translation software," he orders.

"Yes, sir," Alex leaves at once.

Behind him, the aliens let out a battle cry before the transmission cuts out.

.~.

"We're getting demands from Washington," Major Blake tells Harriet from the broad-room, "The President is insisting that he take control of the situation."

"You can tell the President, and please use these exact words," Harriet stiffly orders, "He's not my boss, and he's certainly not turning this into a war," she walks away to where Alex is, and lays a hand on the chair he's sitting at. She looks at his screen, "What have we got?"

"Nothing yet," he informs, "Translating an alien language is going to take time."

"How far off is the ship?" Major Blake cuts in.

"About five hours."

.~.

* * *

.~.

Hours after the broadcast should have finished, the news reports are _still_ running. Running over every scrap of detail they had again and again, speculating and spreading rumors right across the globe.

Donna's quit fed up with it to be honest, going over _every little thing_ over and over.

Not that she's paying much attention to the news anymore.

The Doctor, feverish and still unconscious, needs her attention, "Oh, come on Spaceman," she mumbles him from his bedside, "What do you need? What is it you need? C'mon, tell me."

All she can do is keep him tucked in, damp his forehead with a cloth, and hold his hand. Yet, she still feels like her actions are doing nothing.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Harriet walks to where Major Blake is. He stands up immediately.

She places her hands on her hips, "I don't suppose we've had a code nine? No sign of The Doctor?"

"No. Nothing yet," she runs a hand over her face, "You've met him, haven't you? More like the stuff of legend."

"He is that. Failing him, what about Torchwood?"

His eyes slightly widen, "I -"

Harriet nods quickly, "I know I'm not supposed to know about it, I realize that. Not even the United Nations knows. But if ever there was a need for Torchwood, it's now."

"I can't take responsibility."

"I can," she reminds him, "See to it. Get them ready."

He nods, walking off.

Harriet sighs and turns around where Alex is, walking to her with a laptop, "Prime Minister."

"Has it worked?"

"Just about," Alex sets the laptop down on a vacant workstation, Llewellyn and Sally join them. Alex begins to read out loud the translated transcript of the alien's earlier broadcast, "People. That could be cattle. You belong to us. To the Sycorax. They seem to be called Sycorax, not Martians. We own you. We now possess your land, your minerals, your precious stones. You will surrender or they will die. Sycorax strong, Sycorax mighty, Sycorax rock, as in the modern sense, they rock."

Llewellyn looks over at Alex, "They will die? Not you will die, they will die? Who's they?"

"I don't know, but it is the right personal pronoun. It's they."

"Send them a reply," Harriet orders. Alex gets out an electronic organizer, ready to write, "Tell them, this is a day of peace on planet Earth. Tell them, we extend that peace to the Sycorax. And then tell them, this planet is armed and we do not surrender."

.~.

* * *

.~.

"The Doctor wouldn't do this," Donna says to herself, she hears Wilf and Sylvia enter the room, standing by the doorway. She looks up at them, "The old Doctor, the _proper_ Doctor. Good old Big Ears. He'd wake up. He'd save us."

Sylvia nods, but walks away, not knowing what else to say.

Wilf looks at his granddaughter. He believes this Doctor and the old Doctor are the same. He just wishes Donna would see it too, "Get some sleep, sweetheart," she scoffs at his request, "Just for a little while?"

Oh, she can never say no to Gramps. After standing up for giving Gramps a kiss on the cheek, she kicks her boots off, grabs a blanket, and snuggles in a chair, falling fast asleep.

.~.

* * *

.~.

It's Dawn now. Christmas Day.

"They got the message," Sally informs Harriet and Major Blake, "Here comes the response."

They all turn to the screen, where the leader Sycorax steps up, and with a long hiss he holds out his hand, moving it, as blue light forms around it. Just as soon as it happens, it ends.

"What was that?" Harriet inquires, marching up to Llewellyn, who's seated at a computer, "Was that a reply?"

"I don't know," he answers, punching buttons on the keyboard.

"Like some sort of energy or static," Alex suggests.

"Almost like someone casting a spell," Llewellyn muses, "Maybe it's a different form of language, some sort of ideogram or pictogram?" he trials off as soon as a blue light pulses around Sally's and other worker's heads. They all turn around, walking away from their stations, "What the hell?" Llewellyn stands up, looking at all the workers, more blue lights pulsing, "It's the light. It's the same light," he realizes and walks up to Sally, "Sally? Sally, what are you doing?"

But it's like she can't even hear him, she just keeps walking. It's like she's under some kind of hypnosis. He grabs her arm, trying to get her to stop, but she's not.

Harriet reaches out out the action, "No, leave her, you'll hurt her," she calls out, worried.

Two armed guards raise their weapons at the workers that have been gotten by the blue light.

"Let them pass!" Major Blake orders firmly.

Obeying their orders, the two guards lower their weapons.

"Where are they going?" Llewellyn wonders, watching them all leave the basement.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Donna opens the door of her house, hearing her neighbors shout at each other. More worried and tearful shouts than angry ones. She sees a woman with short brown hair in a pink rob trying to get to a man, who looks like he's not even hearing her.

"What is wrong with you?" she cries, "Jason? Jason!" she watches the blue light pulse around his head.

Sylvia comes out of the house, looking over at her friend, "Sandra! What's going on?"

Her eyes well with tears, "He won't listen! He's walking. He won't stop walking!" she turns back around, following him, "There's this sort of light thing," she sniffs, "Jason?" she runs to him, "Stop it! Right now!"

Donna looks around her whole neighborhood, families and friends following their loved ones who just won't stop walking.

She pauses for a moment before mumbling to herself, "They're all walkin' in the same direction."

.~.

* * *

.~.

Reaching the Level Two corridor - a cold, concrete passageway that linked the base together - Harriet, Alex, and Llewellyn continue to follow the line of affected UNIT personnel.

"They're all heading in the same direction," Harriet realizes.

"It's only certain people," Llewellyn nods, "Why isn't it affecting us?"

Alex looks up in shock after a communication over his device, "Prime Minister," Harriet turns to him, "It's happening all over the country."

.~.

* * *

.~.

Donna and Sylvia quickly run out of the house, following everyone and trying to get them to stop, because they are Donna and Sylvia Noble, maybe their shouts and orders will make them stop. But they don't, they don't even blink at them, they just keep going.

Donna looks over at a woman, Susan, who is following her husband and two young children, pleading desperately with all three of them.

"Alan, come on, now stop this. It's not funny anymore," she watches Susan tug on her husband's dressing gown sleeve, "Come on, Alan, come back inside the house."

Again, she gets no response. She turns to her daughter and son, hoping she can get through to them, "Katherine. Katherine, listen to mummy. You come back inside now. And you, Jonathan," she takes each of her children by the hand, "You come back in with mummy. Jonathon, come back in with mummy. You're scaring me now!"

Neither respond.

On the verge of tears, Susan looks back to her husband, "Come on! Alan, help me out here, please."

Donna tries to help, but even as she does, she knows it's not going to do any good.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Llewellyn runs ahead to see for himself what is going on and comes racing back down the staircase, stopping when he sees Major Blake.

"They're going all the way up," he swallows, catching his breath, "They're going to the roof. Just making their way up to the highest building."

He runs off to the roof where the others are, looking for a woman with blonde hair. He quickens his pace when he sees Sally, he walks in front of her, trying to get through to her, "Sally, stop. It's Danny Llewellyn. Daniel Llewellyn. Sally, just concentrate. Just listen to me. You need to take control," he almost slips on the roof but catches himself, "We need you! Sally, stop!" Major Blake walks up to Llewellyn just as Sally passes him. Llewellyn looks up at the Major, "'Surrender or they will die'," he quotes the Sycorax.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Everyone in Donna's neighborhood and others stop at the edge of the building. As she runs up, she can still hear Sandra cry to Jason, "Jason? Jason, I'm talking to you! Just stop!" she goes to his side and presses her hands to his chest, tears running down her cheeks.

Donna finally comes beside her, and her mum is behind her, looking at everyone.

"What's going on with them all?" Sylvia cries out, holding onto her Donna's arm.

She wishes she knew, but she doesn't. She wants to help them, but she can't. She's not The Doctor.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Alex quickly walks up to Harriet, "It's not just the whole country. It's the whole world," Harriet's stomach sinks as Alex gets informs that they've all stopped, they're just standing on the edge of a building, "According to reports, it's like a third. One third of the world's population. That's two billion people ready to jump."

They all head back to headquarters, researching why this is happening, "There is a pattern," Alex fortunately finds out, "All these people tend to be father and son, mother and daughter, brothers and sisters. Family groups, but not husbands and wives."

"Oh my God," Llewellyn gasps in realization, "It's Guinevere One. Have you got medical records on file for all your staff?"

Alex nods, "Of course we have, yes."

As Llewellyn sits down at the workstation's computer and begins to type furiously, Harriet takes the opportunity to pull Major Blake aside, "What about Torchwood?" she asks.

"Still working on it," he answers, "Bear in mind they have just lost a third of their staff."

"But do they have what _we_ need?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well, tell them to hurry up," she orders, returning to the workstation just as Llewellyn finds what he's looking for.

"Here it is. Sally Jacobs, blood group A Positive," he reads, looking at her medical file, "Who else walked out?"

"Luke Parsons," Alex answers.

"Luke Parsons," Llewellyn mutters, typing at the keyboard, "A Positive."

"Jeffery Baxter."

"Baxter, A Positive. That's it. They're all A Positive."

Major Blake joins them, "How many people in the world are A Positive?" he asks.

"No idea, but I bet it's one third."

"What's so special about that blood group?"

"Nothing, but it's my fault," Llewellyn admits, "Guinevere One. It's got one of those plaques identifying the human race. A message to the stars. I mean, you don't expect anything to come of it, but I put on maps and music and samples. There's wheat seeds, and water, and - and blood. A Positive. The Sycorax have got a vial of A Positive. And, well, I don't know how, but through that - "

"They control the blood," Harriet finishes.

Llewellyn gasps again, "Oh my God."

Harriet turns to Major Blake, "There's only more thing I can try. Major, with me."

.~.

* * *

.~.

With two Union flags draped at either side of her, Harriet Jones, sits in the finest office. It's dark wood paneled room, with a mahogany desk that took up most of the available space, _"Ladies and gentlemen,"_ Harriet begins addressing the camera that is transmitting her live to every news channel in the world, _"_ _If I may take a moment during this terrible time. It's hardly the Queen's speech. I'm afraid that's been cancelled,"_ Pausing, she glances at Major Blake, _"Did we ask about the royal family?_ Harriet's heart sinks a little further when she gets her response, _"Oh. They're on the roof."_

Donna, Wilf, and Sylvia watch as Harriet continues her address.

 _"But, ladies and gentlemen, this crisis is unique, and I'm afraid to say, it might get much worse. I would ask you all to remain calm...but I have one request. Doctor, if you're out there, we need you. I don't know what to do. If you can hear me, Doctor. If anyone knows the Doctor, if anyone can find him, the situation has never been more desperate. Help us. Please, Doctor. Help us."_

Donna rushes away from the television and to The Doctor's side, glaring at his sleeping form. How could he do this? How could he just leave all these people to die? "Oh, wake up! You have to save them! Please! They're innocent people! You're the only one who can help them!" she pleads and then gasps when Wilf's hand reaches for her shoulder. She shifts to him, "How could he do this, Gramps? How could he just leave them?" How could he have just left _her_? She knows it sounds selfish, but why would he do this?

They both scramble away and dive to the floor when their house's windows are suddenly blown apart, the whole house shaking.

The sudden tremor is all across London, and anything glass shattered, entire slabs of concrete, multiple slate tiles, or anything else that can be dislodged, break off their buildings and crash to the ground.

A shadow falls across London.

The ship of the Sycorax.

Sylvia quickly scrambles inside the room where The Doctor is, and Donna wastes no time, "I'm gonna carry him," she yanks the bedcovers and terribly dresses The Doctor in the dressing gown. _How_ was he still even sleeping?! Sylvia has her arm draped around Wilf, the two linger at the doorway, "Mum, get your stuff, and get some food. We're going."

"Going?" Wilf echos, "Where?"

"The TARDIS. It's the only safe place on Earth," Donna replies matter-of-factly.

Sylvia shakes her head, "What're we going to do in there?"

"Hide."

"Is that it?" Sylvia scoffs, as if she's just _looking_ for an argument.

Donna clenches her teeth because she is _not_ in an arguing mood and points out of the windowless window frame, "Look in the sky. There is a great big flippin' alien invasion and I don't know what to do, alright? I've traveled with him, and I've seen all that stuff, but when I'm stuck at home, I'm useless in most ways. Now, all we can do is run and hide, and I'm sorry. I want to help. But I can't. Now move."

As Sylvia disappears to collect food, Donna took the strain of The Doctor's surprisingly (or, more annoyingly) heavy weight and begins to carry him towards the front door, Wilf helping her.

.~.

* * *

.~.

The image on the large screen in Basement Eleven fades in a burst of static as the Sycorax begin another broadcast.

"They're transmitting. Onscreen," Llewellyn announces.

The leader speaks in his strange language, as Alex translates, "Will the leader of this world stand forward,"

Harriet steps forward without any hesitation, "I'm proud to represent this planet," she tells the Sycorax leader.

"Come aboard."

Harriet turns to Alex, wondering if he translated correctly. She looks back at the Sycorax leader, "Well, how do I do that?"

He doesn't give her an answer, except a bright blue light envelopes the four of them, "What's happening?" Llewellyn asks.

"I would imagine it's called a teleport," Harriet manages to reply before they all vanish, the light left shoots up and disappears through the ceiling.

.~.

* * *

.~.

It is _massive_.

No, no, it's _colossal_.

The Sycorax's ship is more like a massive cavern. The floor's covered in a sandy dust, rocky spikes as big as houses hanging from it. Around the walls, galleries had been carved into the rock face, rising up at least thirty stories. Crammed in on every level, the hundreds of Sycorax fix their glowing red eyes on the four new arrivals. The Sycroax leader is the most distinguishable out of them all. He's the biggest and meanest looking one of them all, slamming the end of his large wooden staff down onto the ground with every stride he takes towards them, his whip held coiled in one hand and his compact crossbow bouncing around his waist.

He stops just short of them, his clawed and bony hands reached up to his cow skull head. Slowly, he begins to pull it off, allowing the real face of the Sycorax to be revealed.

"It's a helmet," Llewellyn whispers, "They might be like us."

It wasn't even close to resembling a human's. Wasn't as bad as they thought is would be though, either.

The bone are still there, running across his forehead, around the eyes and down the side of his head to the chin. The mouth and eye areas were skinless, exposing the red muscle. His teeth are razored. He has no lips or eyelids, nor was there any hair or sign of anything comparable to a human.

Llewellyn swallows hard, "Or not."

The Sycorax leader begins to speak.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Donna carries The Doctor, cursing and groaning as Wilf holds his feet. Sylvia comes out with bags and other supplies, "Mum, leave the food and help us!" Donna demands, suddenly moody. Well, the world's ending and The Doctor is unconscious and she can't save anyone. So, she has every right to be a bit moody.

"But you said we need food!"

"Just LEAVE it and help us!" she snaps. Her mum slams the bags down, just as moody, stomps up, and helps them.

While arguing with her daughter the whole way.

.~.

* * *

.~.

"You will surrender," Alex translates, "Or I will release the final curse and your people will jump."

"If I can speak," Llewellyn speaks up, stepping towards the Sycorax leader.

Major Blake grabs hold of his arm, "Mister Llewellyn, you're a civilian," he hisses.

"No, I sent out the probe," he shakes himself free, "I started it. I made contact with these people. This whole thing s my responsibility," The Sycorax leader cocks his head in curiosity as Llewellyn steps forward to address him, "With respect, sir," he begins, his voice shaking, "The human race is taking it's first step towards the stars, but we are like children compared to you. Children who need help. Children who need compassion. I beg of you now, show that compassion."

There's a pause, a moment of consideration.

But then again, it's only for a moment.

The Sycorax leader's whip crackles into life, an electrical charge coursing down its length. A war cry bellows out by the alien as he throws it out towards Llewellyn. It catches Llewellyn around his neck and he screams once before his flesh disintegrates, leaving only his charred bones in a smouldering pile on the ground.

"That man was your prisoner!" Major Blake shouts, furious, striding towards the Sycroax leader, "Even your species must have articles of war, forbidding - "

He suffers the same fate before he could finish what he's saying.

Alex takes a step forward, but Harriet puts out her arm in front of him, before slowly walking forwards herself, her ID card already in her hand, "Harriet Jones, Prime Minister," she introduces, trying not to sound as terrified as she feels.

"...Yes, we know who you are," Alex translates as the Sycorax leader replies, "Surrender or they will die."

"If I do surrender, how would that be better?" Harriet questions.

The leader walks over, his hand hovering over a large, red, button.

"Half is sold into slavery or one third dies. Your choice."

.~.

* * *

.~.

Donna stops when they reach the TARDIS. She turns her attention to her mum and granddad, "Now it's bigger on the inside. Gape and gasp and wonder all you want. Just don't scream," they both nod and she opens the TARDIS door with a huff, and walks inside, Wilf and Sylvia following.

They both gasp in shock, eyes wide as they look around the darkened TARDIS.

"Blimey!" Wilf gasps again, "It's - it's huge!"

Donna rests The Doctor on the floor of the TARDIS. She's grateful when she feels a whoosh of cool hair run down her spine, she looks up at the ceiling, her anger and annoyance calming down and mouths a 'thank you' to the TARIDS.

Sylvia drops the bags, "Oh my God!" she looks over her shoulder, outside and back inside, "How is it - oh my _God_!"

"Shh!" Donna warns.

Her mum nods, still shaken up in wonder.

Wilf looks around the TARDIS in wonder, "There's no chance you can fly this thing?"

"Nope," Donna pops the 'p', "Big Ears never taught me."

Sylvia scoffs, "All the time you spent together and he never bothered to teach you to fly this thing?"

"Maybe he _was_ gonna show me, but instead he had to go and change himself," Donna mutters to herself.

"Maybe he'll teach you when this is all over," Wilf suggests hopefully.

Donna stops her annoyed thoughts from running through her head at her granddad's suggestion. She never considered on what she's going to do. If she was going to stay or leave. She scrunches her nose and sighs.

"So what do we do, just sit here?" Sylvia places her hands on her hips.

Donna leans against the console, "That's as good as it gets."

Sylvia holds out a cup of tea, "Here we are, a nice cuppa tea."

Donna rolls her eyes, "The solution to everything."

Sylvia glares, "Stop your moaning, Donna! And drop the attitude!"

"I'm not twelve!" Donna argues.

Her mum ignores her, "I'm gonna go get the rest of the stuff."

Wilf looks at Donna, seeing her stare down at The Doctor, biting her lip, "Look at us, Donna. Tea. Like we're having a picnic while the world comes to an end. Very British,"he laughs, trying to lighten the mood. When she doesn't reply, the screen attached to the console catches his eye. Frowning, he wonders over to it, "How does this thing work? If it picks up TV, maybe we could see what's going on out there. Maybe we've surrendered. What do you do to it?"

"Gramps, you can't even use a computer. How would we know how to use it?" she looks at the strange, untranslatable Gallifreyan symbols that only the Doctor can read, Donna doesn't have a clue how to work the screen, let alone get it to show her television channels, "I don't know how it works. It sort of tunes itself," she taps the screen randomly.

In doing so, she triggers something as a small, soft but persistent. A rapid beeping noise begins to come from the console.

.~.

* * *

.~.

"The noise. The bleeping," Alex translates as the red light pulses suddenly and the Sycorax leader growls and stomps around, "They say it s machinery. Foreign machinery. They're accusing us of hiding it. Conspiring," he looks up at Harriet, eyes wide, "Bring it on board."

.~.

* * *

.~.

Leaving the house with the last of the food, Sylvia begins walking back to the TARDIS.

She stops dead when she sees a blue light envelope the blue box. Are they taking off?! Leaving her?

But then she remembers the three Santas from the previous night. They disappeared right in front of her eyes, in the same blue light.

The TARDIS vanishes in the exact same way.

"Donna!" she cries, bags dropping, "Dad!"

But it's too late, the TARDIS containing her daughter and father is already gone.

.~.

* * *

.~.

The screen is still emitting the beeping noise, it only becomes even more difficult to make sense of than before.

"Maybe it's a distress signal," Wilf guesses as he and Donna watch it, both of them growing bored of waiting around for something to happen.

"A fat lot of good that's gonna do," Donna mutters, giving up on the screen. She walks around to the other side of the console.

Wilf pauses for a moment, "Are you going to be a misery all the time?"

"I'm not!" she protests, "I'm just annoyed."

Wilf grins, "You should look at it from my point of view, stuck in here with your mum's cooking."

This makes Donna stop. Her mum has been gone for a while now, "Where is she? Exactly how long did it take to go and retrieve a few bags of supplies?"

"Knowing her mother, it's not just a few bags so it might be taking a while," Wilf assures her.

"Still, I don't like the idea of Mum outside of the _relatively safe_ walls of this TARDIS, not when an alien invasion was taking place, I'd better give her a hand. It might start raining missiles out there," she says, heading towards the door.

"Tell her anything from a tin, that's fine," Wilf says.

"Why don't you tell her yourself?" she muses, pausing with the door half opened.

"Yeah, alright," he smiles, lifting himself off of the console.

Donna smirks, opening the door.

Wilf nearly slips on the console in surprise when Donna's sudden shriek travels back a moment later, "Donna?!" he shouts, immediately dropping the flask of tea that's in his hands and rushes towards the door when he hears more shouts.

He gawks when he sees where he is.

Somehow they're in a huge cavern, one hundreds of feet high with colossal spikes hanging down from its dome shaped roof.

"Get off! GET OFF ME!"

Wilf looks back down at the sound of his Donna shouting. He sees her being dragged off by one of the skull headed aliens he d seen on the television. He also sees that the cavern was filled with thousands of them.

They're slap bang in the middle of the alien ship.

Donna looks back over her shoulder at her granddad, managing to point towards the TARDIS, "The door! Close the door!"

Dashing back towards the ship, Wilf is luckily just quick enough to beat the Sycorax that makes a grab for him. Seizing the handle and pulling the door shut, he feels the lock securely click before he's roughly hauled over to where Donna is also being taken.

"Don't you hurt him!" she struggles, seething when she sees the ugly alien take hold of Gramps.

The Sycorax cheer.

 _YOU CHEER,_ Donna thinks loudly to herself. Their cheers are so bloody loud it nearly makes the ground tremble.

Donna and Wilf both realize that they aren't the only prisoners when Donna's name is being called out as the cheering dies down. Her eyes widen when she sees Harriet Jones. What the hell is she doing here? The Prime Minister stands with a man. He has dark hair, and he's dressed in a black suit, "Donna. Donna!" Harriet cries again as Donna and Wilf are pushed over to where she and Alex are standing. She runs forward and embraces the ginger woman, holding onto her tightly, who is shocked at the contact, she hugs her back anyways, "My Lord," she pulls away, "The Doctor, is he with you?"

"No," Donna whispers, staring at the red eyed aliens over Harriet's shoulder, "We're on our own."

.~.

When Wilf had dropped the flask of tea, it had landed on its side and come to rest not far from The Doctor's head. Most of its contents spilled when it had first hit the floor but slowly, the still steaming liquid continues to dribble out of the flask and down onto the machinery and wirings below.

Long vapor begins to rise. As it grows in volume and as the rate of condensation rises, the vapor finds its way towards The Doctor.

Still unconscious, he breathes in deeply as it swirls around his sinuses and exhales another cloud of golden vapor.

.~.

The Sycorax leader growls and stomps around again, this time pointing at Donna.

"The red woman," Alex reads off, "She has the clever blue box."

"'The red woman'?" Donna repeats, pulling a face.

"...Therefore, she speaks for your planet."

"But she can't!" Wilf protests, eyes wide.

"Yeah, I can," Donna counters quickly, taking a few steps forward.

"Don't you dare!" Wilf warns, his voice shaking.

"Someone's got to be the Doctor," she turns to the leader, "Don't call me The Doctor. The Doctor Donna will do just fine though."

"They'll kill you!" Harriet cries, not finding her comment amusing.

"Donna!" Wilf pleads, "Stop, don't do this! They will kill you, sweetheart!"

"Never stopped him," Donna replies as she steps forward a little more to address the thousands of aliens before her, "I, uh, I address the Sycorax according to...Article Four - no, Fifteen of the Shadow Proclamation," she says clear and confident. Well, she tries to. As she speaks, the Sycorax leader begins to walk towards her. As he did, Donna carries on, trying not to tremble and show the fear that was clawing at her insides, "I command you to leave this world with all the authority of the Slitheen Parliament of Raxacodopelor - " she takes a deep breath, "Raxacoricafallpadarius?" Oh, close enough for her, " - and uh, the Gelth Confederacy as uh, sanctioned by the Mighty Jagrafess and, oh, the _Daleks_!" How could she forget Daleks? "Now, leave this planet in peace!"

There's a pause and everyone looks towards the Sycorax leader to see what he will do.

His fanged teeth bare. He's staring at Donna with curiosity. Then he begins laughing, a raw, guttural cackle that's mimicked by the rest of the Sycorax.

Were they laughing at _her_?! How dare they!

The Sycorax leader silences the others with a wave of his arm before he rounds on Donna, grinning menacingly at her, "You are very, very funny," Alex translates, gulping, "And now you're going to die, Doctor Donna."

"Leave her alone!" Harriet shouts at once, moving to lunge forwards.

"Don't touch her!" Wilf yells at the same time, both of the moving forward.

The leader growls at her angrily, "Did you think you were clever?" Alex continues, his voice shaking a bit, "With your stolen words?"

The leader starts talking passionately, walking around Donna, who's trying not to flinch because he's getting too close to her, invading her _personal space_ and she does not want ugly alien breath in her face.

"We are the Sycorax. We astride the darkness."

The Sycorax Leader hisses at Donna who gasps, pulling away from him.

Alex continues speaking as the leader does, "Next to us you are but a wailing child. If you are the best your planet can offer as a champion..."

"...Then your world will be gutted," The Sycorax leader growls.

"...then your world will be gutted."

Wait, did she hear that right? Donna stares, blue eyes wide.

"...and your people enslaved," the leader continues.

"...and your people enslaved."

"Mate, I think you can stop now," Donna shifts, glancing over at Alex.

Alex does, he stares at the Sycorax leader in shock, "Hold on, that's English."

"He's talking English," Harriet says.

"You're talkin' English," Donna continues.

The Sycorax leader glares at her, "I would never dirty my tongue with your primitive bile!"

Donna points at him, not feeling as scared, "That's English," she turns to Harriet, Wilf, and Alex, "Can you hear English?" she asks them as the leader continues to speak. They all nod.

"Yeah, that's English," Wilf nods.

So does Alex, "Definitely English."

"I speak only Sycoraxic!" The leader yells at them angrily.

"If I can hear English then it's being translated," Donna mumbles to herself, completely ignoring the leader, "Which means it's workin'. Which means..." she slowly turns around to look at the TARDIS. Wilfred and Harriet follow suit. The doors open.

And there, standing and smiling stupidity in his stripy pyjamas and dressing gown, is The Doctor.

"Did you miss me?" he smiles.

She's gonna kill him when this is all over.

The Sycorax Leader roars in fury and lashes his whip at The Doctor, who simply catches the end and pulls it away from him. He discards it, "You could have someone's eye out with that!" he playfully scolds.

"How dare you!" The Sycorax leader begins.

The Doctor just strides up to him (with possibly the cutest angriest face Donna has ever seen but no, she did not just think that, no way.) and snatches his staff out of his hands, breaking it across his knee and tossing it aside, "You just can't get the staff," he shakes his head before rounding on the stunned Sycorax leader, pointing a finger at him,"Now, _you_ , just wait. I'm busy," The Doctor returns to where Wilf, Harriet, and Alex are standing, "Wilfred, hello!" he greets warmly, "And Harriet Jones MP for Flydale North. Blimey, it's like 'This Is Your Life'," he wanders over to Donna, smiling brightly, "Tea! That's all I needed, a good cup of tea! Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin. Just the thing for healing the synapses," he lowers his voice, looking seriously at her, "Now, first thing's first. Be honest, how do I look?"

And she honestly thought he was gonna ask a serious question.

For a moment, she doesn't quite know how to respond. Because they might die and he wants to ask how he _looks_.

Bloody hell, she misses Big Ears.

"Different,"she eventually replies.

The Doctor frowns, "Good different or bad different?"

Well, how would she know how to reply to that? "Just different."

"Tell me, Donna," The Doctor starts, his face falling into grim seriousness, "Am I..."

Donna looks up at him, eyebrows raised, "Are you what?"

"Ginger."

 _For God's sake,_ she stays silent.

"Am I?"

"No. You're just brown," she answers glancing at that hair of his.

Disappointed, The Doctor spins on the spot and walks away from her, pacing up and down, "Aw, I wanted to be ginger! I've never been ginger!" he whines.

"It's not fun, Spaceman."

He suddenly turns back to face her, pointing a finger at her, "And you, Donna Noble, fat lot of good you were!"

She pulls a face, "Oi!"

"You gave up on me!" he says accusingly and then gasps, "Oh, that's rude. That's the sort of man I am now, am I? Rude. Rude and not ginger."

"Well, I'm rude _and_ ginger," she huffs, folding her arms over her chest.

He gives a 'hmm' before breaking into a soft smile, "You look lovely in red by the way," he gestures to her red shirt.

Donna manages, " _Wot_?"

"Is that always gonna be your response to when I compliment you?" he wails, and then pulls a face, " _Wot_?" he does a very, very _terrible_ impression of her.

It still makes her annoyed, "Watch it!"

Harriet has been staring at The Doctor as though he'd grown an extra head, "I'm sorry, who is this?" she gawks.

"I'm The Doctor," The Doctor replies, as though it were obvious.

"He's The Doctor," Donna repeats, " _Apparently_."

"But what happened to my Doctor, the one I met? Or is it just a title that's just passed on?"

"I'm him. I'm literally him. Same man, new face. Well, new everything," The Doctor reassures, walking over to her.

"But you can't be," Harriet whispers.

"Harriet Jones, we were trapped in Downing Street and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens, it wasn't the war," he tells her quietly, "It was the thought of your mother being on her own."

"Oh my God!" Harriet exclaims.

He smiles at her, all beaming and giddy, "Did you win the election?"

She smiles widely, "Landslide majority."

"If I might interrupt," The Sycroax leader growls from the opposite side of the ship.

"Yes, sorry," The Doctor says turning to face him with a big (cutest) smile on his face, "Hello, big fella."

"Who exactly are you?"

"Well, that's the question," he cocks his head and laughs.

"I DEMAND TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE!" The Sycorax leader roars.

"I DON'T KNOW!" The Doctor roars back in an imitating manner, "See, that's the thing. I'm The Doctor, but beyond that, I - I just don't know. I _literally_ do not know who I am. It's all untested," he paces around the ship, "Am I...funny? Am I sarcastic? Sexy?" he shoots a wink at Donna who's face flushes just the slightest, "Right old misery? Life and soul? Right handed? Left handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob," the pulsing red button catches The Doctor's attention. He laughs and points at it, "And how am I going to react when I see this, a great big _threatening button_ ," he runs up to it, everyone following his movements, "A great big threatening button which must not be pressed under any circumstances, am I right?" Donna notices he's doing that thing where he pops the 'B'. He clicks his tongue, "Let me guess. It's some sort of control matrix, hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it?" he goes down to see what is it, "What've we got here?" he dips his finger and holds it up, examining it, "Blood?" he tastes some off his finger and nods to himself, "Yeah, definitely blood. Human Blood. With just a dash of iron," he waggles his tongue around at the nasty taste and wipes his finger on his dressing gown. Donna snorts, she will admit this Doctor is very...amusing, "Ahh. But that means blood control," he looks up, positively delighted, "Blood control! Oh! I haven't seen blood control for _years_! You're controlling all the A Positives!"

The Sycorax's grimace falters slightly, and he hisses.

"Which leaves us with a great big _stinking_ problem," The Doctor continues, "'Cos I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop. So if I see a great big _threatening button_ which should never ever, ever _ever_ be pressed then I just wanna do this!" he whacks the button hard.

"No!" Harriet and Donna shout at the same time.

Doesn't he know what he just did?!

.~.

* * *

.~.

The A Positives who are still on the roof tops take a step forward and then they get released from the hypnosis. They all look extremely confused.

"What the hell am I doing up here?" Jason asks.

"Get away from the edge!" Sandra gaps, relieved.

Everyone hastily retreat from the edge, staring at the spaceship above their heads.

.~.

* * *

.~.

"You killed them!" Alex cries.

The Doctor looks at the Sycorax leader, "What do you think, big fella? Are they dead?"

"We allow them to live."

" _Allow_?"

" _Allow_?!" Donna echoes off.

"You've no choice!" The Doctor continues, "I mean, that's all blood control is. Cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis. You can hypnotize someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis, you can't hypnotize them to death. Survival instinct's too strong."

Donna lets out the breath that she had been holding in. This new Doctor is so jumpy and loud and exhilarating. She kind of enjoys it.

"Blood control was just one form of conquest," the leader growls, "I can summon the armada and take this world by force."

Donna rolls her eyes at that.

The Doctor nods, "Well, yeah, you could, yeah, you could do that, of course you could. But why? Look at these people," he gestures towards Donna and the others, beginning to speak passionately, "These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet and blinking step into the sun. There is more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than no, hold on - " he pauses, "Sorry, that's The Lion King. But the point still stands. Leave them alone!"

"Or what?" The Sycorax leader challenges.

"Or..." The Doctor grabs a sword from one of the Sycorax guarding Donna and the others, runs down the steps into the empty floor space in front of the TARDIS and raises it into the air, "I challenge you!"

Donna rolls her eyes, "Oh my God."

She thinks he's having too much fun.

The Sycorax leader and the other Sycorax burst out laughing.

"Ooh that struck a chord," The Doctor hums, amused, "Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?"

The Sycorax leader comes down the steps and unsheathes his own sword, "You stand as this world's champion."

The Doctor shrugs off his dressing gown, "Thank you. I've no idea who I am, but you just summed me up," he tosses the dressing gown to Donna, who catches it with a glare, "So you accept my challenge? Or are you just a _cranak pel casacree salvak_?"

She has no idea what he just called the bur apparently it was _really_ offense.

The Sycorax leader hisses and he and the other Sycorax raise their weapons. The others lower their weapons down as The Doctor and the leader kneel by their swords.

"For the planet?"

"For the planet," The Doctor agrees.

They stand up and face each other, holding their swords at ready. The Doctor swings first, and their swords clash together. After a few seconds, the Doctor is thrown aside, and the Sycorax leader laughs. The Doctor, however, straightens himself up, giving a quick look at Donna.

With wide eyes she gives a really stupid thumbs up.

The Doctor looks back, a smile on his face and they begin to fight again. The Sycorax leader swings his sword at the Doctor. The Doctor dodges and ducks. The Sycorax leader swings again, almost hitting The Doctor s foot.

"Look out!" Donna cries out as the leader did so.

"Oh, yeah, that helped," The Doctor gets to his feet, "Wouldn't have thought of that otherwise, thanks."

"What, you're sassing me now, too?" she growls.

Wilf holds her arm, shaking his head, "It's probably not the best time to argue, darling."

She nods and faces the fight again, slightly terrified. The Doctor swings and the leader hits him, knocking some wind out of him. She watches The Doctor lead the fight up the stairs, "Bit of fresh air?" he remarks and hits a button. A door opens, leading to a platform on the outside of the spaceship. They continue their fight. Donna, Wilf, Harriet, Alex and a few of the Sycorax follow them.

The swash-buckling continues. The Sycorax leader manages to catch the Doctor slightly on his nose, and he groans.

Donna begins to run forward, but The Doctor raises a hand to stop her, "Stay back! Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet," he wipes his nose, and he and the Sycorax leader run towards each other, clashing swords. They both grimace with the effort, and The Doctor is knocked backwards to the ground. Taking advantage, the Sycorax leader slashes at the Doctor's wrist, succeeding in chopping his hand off, up to the elbow. It falls off the side of the spaceship, sword and all.

Donna lets out a shriek. _His hand_!

The Doctor watches it drop, and looks back at the Sycorax leader, looking rather stunned and annoyed, "You cut my hand off."

"Yah! Sycorax!" the leader yells triumphantly.

The Doctor gets to his feet, "And now I know what sort of man I am. I'm lucky. 'Cos quite by chance I'm still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle. Which means I've got just enough residual cellular energy to do this," he holds up his stump of an arm, and before everyone's eyes, it grows right back.

Donna blinks, _It grew right back._

Wait, why is she even surprised?

"Witchcraft," the leader breathes out in shock.

"Time Lord," The Doctor corrects.

Donna takes one of the Sycorax's swords out of its sheath, "Now or never, Doctor!"

The Doctor turns and she tosses it to him. He catches it by the handle and spins it around, "Oh, so I'm still the Doctor, then?"

"What would I have yelled? First thing that popped into my head!"

"Could've yelled any nickname!" he smirks, "But first thing that came to your head, that's fine too!" he turns the Sycorax leader, "Wanna know the best bit? This new hand," he puts on a Texan accent, "It's a fightin' hand!

Donna snorts (totally not amused) at that.

The Doctor runs at the Sycorax leader, and the fight commences once more. They clash swords for a few more moments, then The Doctor jabs him hard in stomach with the handle of the sword. The other Sycorax wince, and the Sycorax leaders groans. The Doctor does the same twice more, causing the Sycorax leader to fall to the ground. The Doctor points his sword at his throat, "I win."

"Then kill me," he manages, having trouble speaking.

"I'll spare your life if you'll take this champion's command. Leave this planet, and never return," he demands, "What do you say?"

"Yes."

The Doctor, as angry and serious as they've have yet seen him, jabs the sword closer, "Swear on the blood of your species," he orders through gritted teeth.

"I swear," he agrees, voice labored.

"There we are, then!" The Doctor smiles lightly, "Thanks for that! Cheers, big fella!" he jabs the sword into the ground.

"Bravo!" Harriet cheers, clapping.

Wilf pumps a fist in the air, "Woohoo!"

"That says it all," Donna smirks at The Doctor, "Bravo indeed, Spaceman."

"Yeah!" he smirks back, "Not bad for a man in his jim-jams!" Donna puts the dressing gown back on the Doctor, "Very Arthur Dent. Now, there was a nice man," they walk back to the door, The Doctor going on about Arthur Dent. He stops and pulls out something from his dressing gown, "A bell?" he asks pulling out a round golden bell, " _That's_ what was jingling inside my gown!"

Donna shrugs, "Gramps does love Christmas."

From behind them, the Sycorax leader roars, standing up, getting ready to charge at them.

The Doctor lobs the bell at a switch on the side of the ship, a deep, threatening look on his face, his smile gone. The Sycorax leader falls off the platform that dropped because of The Doctor, screaming as he fell down to Earth.

"No second chances," is all The Doctor says, "I'm that sort of a man."

.~.

In the Sycorax ship, The Doctor stands in front of the TARDIS with Donna and the others.

"By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time. And when go you back to the stars and tell others of this planet when you tell them of its riches, its people, its potential. When you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this: It. is. _Defended_ ," he addresses the rest of the Sycorax.

The TARDIS, The Doctor, Donna, Harriet, Wilf, and Alex are all teleported away.

.~.

"Where are we?" Donna asks, swaying a little. She never likes being transported, all body and all.

"We're just around the corner of home!" Wilf smiles, "We did it!" he laughs, hugging Donna.

The Doctor holds his hand out as the spaceships engines start up, "Wait a minute wait a minute," the ship takes flight, "...back to the skies," he grins.

"Go on, my son! Oh, yeah!" Wilf cheers, "Yeah! Don't come back! It is defended!"

Donna laughs happily, giving Wilf a hug. They laugh happily. Alex joins them as well.

The Doctor and Harriet face each other. She raises her arms, grinning, "My Doctor."

The Doctor smiles back, "Prime Minister," they happily embrace each other.

She pulls back, "Absolutely the same man."

The Doctor smiles.

Then they both turn to look up at they sky.

"Are there many more out there?" she asks.

"Oh, not just Sycorax. Hundreds of species. Thousands of them. And the human race is drawing attention to itself. Every day you're sending out probes and messages and signals, this planet's so noisy. You're getting noticed more and more," he looks at her, "You'd better get used to it."

"Donna! Dad!"

Donna and Wilf turn to see Sylvia, they run up to her, all three of them embracing.

"Oh! Talking of trouble!" The Doctor comments.

"Oh my God! You did it!" she gushes, "Oh!" Sylvia looks up and meets The Doctor's gaze, he smiles at her.

"I can't believe this, but it was you! You woke The Doctor! With _tea_!" Donna praises.

Sylvia raises her eye brows, "Tea?"

"Fixed his head!" Wilf brightens up.

Meanwhile, Alex's communication device bleeps.

"That was all I needed, cup of tea," The Doctor joins in.

"I said so!" Sylvia looks back at Donna, "Is it him, though? Is it really the Doctor?" then she notices Harriet, "Oh my God! It's the bleeding Prime Minister!"

The Doctor grins, "Come here, you."

He holds out his arms to Sylvia, who snorts, "I'm not hugging you!"

His smile drops. Oh.

Wilf grins, "Yes you are!" he pulls his girls and The Doctor in a group hug.

The four of them chat happily amongst themselves while Alex approaches Harriet referring to the message on his communication device, "It's a message from Torchwood. They say they're ready."

Harriet closes her eyes briefly, then opens them again, watching the happy group standing a short way away.

"You two left me! I thought you were dead!" Sylvia scolds the two.

"Sorry, Sylvia! We didn't even know until Donna stepped out of the TARDIS!"

"I had all the bloody food!"

The Doctor turns and gives Harriet a brief smile, which she feebly tries to return.

"Tell them to fire," she says quietly to Alex.

"Fire at will," he says into his earpiece.

And they wait.

The Doctor, Donna, Sylvia, and Wilf jump as a beam of green light shoots loudly up from the ground nearby. The same green light beams up from another four points, and the five points meet in the middle. The energy shoots up into space and hits the spaceship, destroying it.

Donna gasps, "What is that? What's happening?"

Sylvia puts her hand over her mouth.

The Doctor looks unsmilingly from the sky to Harriet. He storms toward her slowly, "That was murder," he growls angrily.

Harriet imagines her Doctor, the old Doctor telling her the same thing, with a northern accent and sad eyes.

"That was defense," she swiftly corrects, "It's adapted from alien technology. A ship that fell to Earth ten years ago."

"But they were leaving," he hisses angrily.

"You said yourself, Doctor. They'd go back to the stars and tell others about the Earth. I'm sorry, Doctor, but you're not here all the time. You come and go. It happened today, Mister Llewellyn and the Major. They were murdered. They died right in front of me while you were sleeping. In which case, we have to defend ourselves."

"'Britain's Golden Age'," he mutters disdainfully.

"It comes with a price."

"I gave them the wrong warning. I should've told them to run, as fast as they can, run and hide because the monsters are coming: the human race."

"Those are the people I represent. I did it on their behalf," she defends.

"Then I should've stopped you."

"What does that make you, Doctor? Another alien threat?"

He takes a menacing step towards her, "Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones. 'Cos I am a completely new man. I could bring down your government with a single word."

"You're the most remarkable man I've ever met," she says softly, "But I don't think you're quite capable of that."

"No, you're right," he agrees, and she won't admit that she's nervous or intimidated, not the slightest, "Not a single word," he looks down down at her silently for a few seconds, "Just six."

"I don't think so."

"Six words."

"Stop it!"

"Six."

They stare at each other for a few more seconds, a battle of wills. Then The Doctor walks around her and approaches Alex. He takes off his earpiece and speaks to him quietly, so Harriet can't hear, "Don't you think she looks tired?" he mumbles and walks off again, leaving Alex looking rather confused, and Harriet plain alarmed. He joins Donna, Slyvia, and Wilf again, and the four of them walk off down the street.

Harriet rushes up to Alex, "What did he say?" she asks urgently.

"Oh, uh nothing, really," he stutters.

"What did he say?!"

"I - nothing! I don't know!"

"Doctor! Doctor, what did you what was what did he say?! What did you say, Doctor? Doctor?!" she yells after The Doctor's retreating back. The Doctor completely ignores her, as do the other three. She calms down slightly, "I'm sorry," she whispers.

Alex begins to walk away, leaving Harriet standing alone.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Inside the TARDIS wardrobe The Doctor is rifling through the clothes and looking for something to wear. He's in some new clothes and a bright pink scarf is draped around his neck. Oh, if Donna could see him now! She'd pee herself at how he looks! He picks up what looks like a soldier costume and holds it up to himself. The Doctor shuffles through the clothes rack with no luck. A brown pinstripe suit catches his eye.

He holds it up and grabs a lighter brown coat and smiles with delight and dashes off.

He walks slowly up to the mirror, hands in his pockets, newly clad in his brown suit and long coat. He turns around, looking at his reflection. He leans towards the mirror, running a hand over his face, examining it. He runs his tongue over his teeth, then turns his head to different angles as if to admire the effect. He raises his eyebrows, sniffs, and nods.

He leaves the enormous wardrobe and mumbles to himself, "When I woke up today and the world seemed a restless place, it could have been that way for me then...I wandered around and I thought of your face that Christmas looking back at me...I wish today was just like every other day. 'Cos today has been the best day everything I ever dreamed. Then I started to walk pretty soon I will run then I'll be running back to you. 'Cos I followed my star, and that's what you are I've had a merry time with you. I wish today was just like every other day. 'Cos today has been the best day, everything I ever dreamed..."

"What are you mumbling, Time boy?" Donna pokes her head from outside the TARDIS.

The Doctor turns around, feeling his face flush in embarrassment.

"Oh, wow. You changed."

He spins around, "Well, whatdaya think, Donna Noble?"

Donna smirks, "It suits you, actually. In strange way."

The Doctor smiles brightly at her, "So, why are you poking into my TARIDS?" he wonders if she's going to ask if she can join him.

"Mum's makin' Christmas dinner. Do you want some? I'll bring a plate for you if you want."

He frowns, "She doesn't do a big Christmas dinner?"

"Oh, she does. Crackers and songs and everything. I usually just sit on the armchair and watch telly."

His brown eyes go wide, "Why would you ever do that?"

She blinks slowly at his question. He sounded absolutely disgusted that she would do such a thing, "Oh. I never told you, did I?" he narrows his brows, "I don't like Christmas."

He lets out the most dramatic gasp she's ever heard.

"You don't like Christmas?" he stands taller, "Donna Noble, you and I are going to join that Christmas dinner and you will have the best Christmas dinner ever!"

She raises an eyebrow, "Is that so?"

"If - if you want," he squeaks.

She thinks for a moment. Oh, what the hell? The world is saved and this Doctor has never had a Christmas and yeah, she deserves a little fun on this holiday for once, "Yeah, alright."

He smiles so brightly she wonders if it makes his cheeks hurt, he bounces up to her and takes her hand in his and drags her off to her house.

.~.

Donna yelps as the Christmas cracker she pulls with the Doctor bangs. The Doctor wins but he gives it to Donna anyways, plus, he's already wearing a red one.

(She thinks he secretly cheated.)

"Oh, that's yours..."

Donna takes a pink paper party hat out of the cracker, "It's pink!"

"I'll take it! Love pink!" Sylvia plucks the hat from Donna's hands and all four giggle at the action.

"Aww!" Wilf smiles, "Beautiful!"

"Pink! Lovely!" The Doctor smiles as he Sylvia puts the hat on, and The Doctor watches her, smiling. He quickly looks around and hums happily when he spots another party hat, red like his. He plucks it from the ground and quickly places it on Donna's head. She gasps in surprise and immediately reaches for the hat, but then she sees The Doctor's look of awe and she can't bring herself to take it off, no matter how hideous she thinks she looks with it on.

Donna points to the telly, "Look, it's Harriet Jones!"

They all turn to look at the television. The Doctor takes out a pair of glasses from his pocket.

 _"Prime Minister, is it true you are no longer fit to be in position?"_ a man asks her.

 _"No. Now, can we talk about other things?"_ she quickly says.

The Doctor stands up and putting a pair of thick rimmed, geeky glasses on, looks sternly at the television.

 _"Is it true you're unfit for office?"_

 _"Look, there is nothing wrong with my health! I don't know where these stories are coming from! And a vote of no confidence is completely unjustified."_

The phone rings and Sylvia goes into the kitchen to answer it.

 _"Are you going to resign?"_

 _"On today of all days, I'm fine. Look at me, I'm fine. I look fine, I feel fine,"_ she answers, clearly frustrated.

"It's Sandra," Sylvia calls, "She says go and look outside."

The Doctor takes his glasses off and turns back to the others.

"Why? It's not some more aliens, is it?" Donna sighs.

"I dunno, just go outside and look," they don't budge quickly enough for her, "Come on, shift!"

They all get up and head outside. There are lots of others outside too because it's snowing. They all laugh in delight. It looks as though there are meteors in the sky. The Doctor and Donna stand beside each other, Wilf and Sylvia behind them.

"Oh, that's gorgeous! What are they, meteors?"

"It's the spaceship breaking up in the atmosphere," he acknowledges her, "This isn't snow, it's ash."

"...Okay, not so beautiful," she pouts, "Way to ruin the moment."

"This is a brand new planet Earth," he continues, "No denying the existence of aliens now, everyone saw it. Everything's new."

Donna avoids his gaze as she asks, "And what about you? What are you gonna do next?"

"Well back to the TARDIS, same old life," she feels his eyes on her.

"On your own?"

"Why, don't you wanna come?" she looks up and his face looks so full of anxiety and fear.

She looks up at him, "Well, duh."

"Do you, though?"

"Yeah!"

"I just thought 'cos I changed - "

Donna nods, "Yeah, I thought, 'cos you changed I thought I didn't want to see you anymore. Or that you wouldn't want me anymore."

"Oh, I'd love you to come," he says softly. Donna smiles, to her, he sounds so sincere and happy.

Wilf comes behind Donna, "You're never gonna stay, are you?"

The Doctor and Donna both look at him, "There's just so much out there. So much to see I've got to," Donna tells him.

Wilf grins, "I'm not mad. I'm so happy for you," he kisses her head.

"Well, I reckon you're mad. The pair of you. It's like you go looking for trouble," Sylvia joins in.

"Well, he does," Donna remarks, elbowing The Doctor.

"Trouble's just the bits in-between," The Doctor puts an arm around Sylvia, looking up at the sky, "It's all waiting out there, Sylvia. It's brand new to me," Donna smiles, "All those planets, creatures, and horizons. I haven't seem them yet! Not with these eyes," he goes to stand beside Donna, "And it is gonna be _fantastic_."

Donna feels her eyes well up and her smile soften at the use of his old catchphrase.

He grins back and holds hand out to her, she points at it, "That hand of yours still gives me the creeps."

The Doctor grins and wiggles his fingers persistently.

She takes his hand with a playful roll of her eyes and they look up at they sky for a few moments. She feels The Doctor step closer to her and brush the snow off her arm, "So, where're we gonna go first?"

"Um, that way," he points deliberately at a point in the night sky. She reminds him a kid, "No, hold on that way," he points a smidgen to the right of his first point.

Donna points in the same direction, "That way?"

The Doctor looks down at her, she meets his gaze when she feels him watching her. He has that look on his face. As if she's the only thing with him. As he's in a trance, just staring at her. As if he's seeing her for the first time, "Hmm?"

"That way?" she nudges him, smiling.

"Oh, yeah. Mhmm."

They smile at each other for a few seconds and then gaze up at the night-sky, hand in hand.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Donna steps into the TARDIS, not meaning to slam the door so bloody loud. The Doctor jumps from the console when he sees her. She's dressed in some pastel jammies and a dressing gown, "Are you ready to go, Donna Noble?"

Donna scoffs, "I'm in my jammies, genius. Tomorrow. Or later today, or whatever," he nods, looking back down at his console. Donna hums to herself before piping up, "How come you do that, anyways?"

"Do what?" had he done something wrong? She didn't _seem_ angry or annoyed or scared.

"Say my full name."

The Doctor feels his face flush, "Oh, that."

"You've said it like six times in total since you've..." she waves her hands, "regenerated."

Oh Rasslion, she was counting?

"I just love the way your name sounds," he admits. She makes a face and he stumbles over his words, "New voice and all. And it _is_ a lovely name. I absolutely adore your name! Love it!"

Donna laughs, "Yeah, alright."

He grins at her, "You were wonderful today. All brave and pretty and rude. And _ginger_!"

"You can stop sucking up now," she quite likes it, though. Makes her feel all nice and warm.

"I'm not sucking up!" he frowns.

"Oh, that's another thing," she muses. The Doctor's frown deepens, what had he done this time? "Since when do you have this fetish with gingers?"

"It is not a fetish!"

"Uh-huh."

"I've always liked gingers. Now it's more of a really huge appreciation," he defends.

She smiles softly, listening to him ramble about gingers, "So basically a fetish."

He stuffs his hands in the pockets of his coat, "So you're alright now? This being the new me and all?"

"Yeah, I'm alright with it," she nods, "On one condition. We're just mates. That's it. Like I said the first time I met you."

He nods furiously. He wouldn't lose Donna to a little fancy.

"You're still the same man, though. But also a different man. Still strange. But, all in all still my Doctor."

His lips twitch upwards, "Your Doctor?" he quite likes the sound of that. Her Doctor. She's his Donna! _His_ lovely Donna Noble.

"Oh, get off," she lets out a yawn, "Alright then. See you tomorrow. Brand new day."

* * *

 **ending author's note:** Here's some other notes that I never explained in my story:

1\. Donna and Nine were not a couple. I see them as best mates. But Ten and Donna on the other hand, *wink*

2\. About Rose: They met her in "The Long Game" or something like that. Nine absolutely adored her. Donna shipped them as well. Rose came along for a while. I added her in because I didn't want Donna to have the Bad Wolf arc.

3\. I don't fully have an idea about what happened with Donna about her head hurting in the beginning. It's just something I wrote. Foreshadowing for her ending, though. Agghhh ;-;

4\. In the next chapters I will be going through The Doctor's thoughts because I love writing in his POV. He's obviously gonna fall in love Donna Noble.

5\. Nine also met Donna on a different Christmas, there was no Lance yet.

Wilf totally ships The Doctor and Donna.

Sorry there wasn't as much Doctor/Donna moments because it focused mainly on the aliens/Harriet Jones and The Doctor was unconscious for the most parts. There was a lot of mentions in stars in this episode, that's kinda what gave me the idea to name this story 'Sure as the Stars' oh, I had so much fun writing this, Donna and The Doctor are so fun to write! I hope I do them justice.

The next chapter is _New Earth_! I'm so excited cause there is gonna be _lots_ of DoctorDonna moments, hehe.

Stay tuned for more!


	2. New Earth

**author's note/disclaimer:** Hello everyone! I'm bACK. WITH _NEW EARTH_!

I was so excited writing this one. All these Doctor(Cassandra)Donna moments.

Thank you all for such sweet reviews on my first chapter! They made me so happy! :)

So, I hope you all enjoy this one!

* * *

 **Sure as the Stars**  
 **Chapter Two**  
 **New Earth**

* * *

The Doctor treads over the grilling in the TARDIS. He slings his jacket over one of the supports and walks slowly up to the console where he begins to operate the controls. The engines start to hum. He opens the door to the TARDIS slightly, seeing Donna, Sylvia, and Wilfred a few feet away. He smiles, seeing Donna packed and ready to go.

Oh, he's so happy that she's staying with him. Can't explain how overjoyed he is!

"Have you got everything?" Wilf makes sure, hand on Donna's.

She nods, "I've got everything, don't worry."

"Be careful."

"Yeah," she reaches over with one hand and they embrace each other.

The Doctor doesn't want to interrupt the moment so he moves back inside and pulls a lever. The rotor begins to rise and fall. He gazes up at it and a proud smile spreads across his face. He knows just the place to take Donna!

After stepping away from her mum's embrace, Donna steps back, "Okay, I'm going now. Love you!"

The Doctor smacks down on the controls.

And then she turns around and takes a deep breath. She quickness her pace to the TARDIS with a smile on her face. With one last large wave, Donna closes the door behind her, dropping her bags on the ground.

The Doctor notices her and they beam at one another straight away. He can't help but notice how lovely she looks. Her hair is straightened and her bangs are swept to the side. Ooh, she's even wearing the golden hooped earrings he had gotten her! Lovely! She's also wearing a lavender, v neck blouse that stops at her elbows with jeans and some sneakers.

Is it bad that he thinks she looks stunning in the simplest clothes?

He shakes his head quickly and then pulls a lever with extra vigor.

Donna jolts a little and sends him a glare, "I'm back and you're tryin' to knock me out?" she marches up to him, "Scoot a bit," and he does so and soon enough they're both operating the controls, Donna is more slower since he never did teach her how to fly this thing yet. That's another thing he needs to teach her, how to fly the TARDIS. The TARDIS already loves her, she hums and brightens up whenever Donna is around. He can't blame her, he does the same thing. He snaps out of his thoughts when he sees Donna looking at him, a look of curiosity on her face, "So, where are we goin'?"

He grins, "Further than we've ever gone before."

Donna raises an eye brow in interest, although a smile is on her face.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Donna steps out of the TARDIS onto a windy stretch of green grass. The Doctor comes behind her, shutting the door of the TARDIS. He looks at Donna, who's looking around, moving her red hair that's flying from her face. There are enormous clouds stretching across the sky, she can see the ray of the sun shinning through as well. There's a huge building and it feels so _close_ and it's so wonderful! There's even bloody space crafts soaring through the air! (They don't look as good as the TARDIS, though.)

"It's the year five billion and twenty three...we're in the galaxy M-eighty-seven, and this..." The Doctor sweeps his eyes around, and she doesn't need to look up to know that's he's smiling, "...this is New Earth."

They look upon a futuristic city, with flying vehicles zooming to and fro.

Donna gapes, "That's just...that's...wow! Oh my - wait hold on, _New Earth_?"

"Not bad," The Doctor nods, chucking, "Not bad at all!"

"I'll never get used to this, you know," she reminds him, not pushing the name of this place any farther (but, really? New Earth? That's what they're goin' with?) "Never. Different ground beneath my feet!" she spins in a circle and looks up at the sky, "Different sky!"

"Donna Noble, citizen of the Earth, standing on _New_ Earth! Ha!" The Doctor bounces on the grass.

"Exactly! It's just - " Donna sniffs the air, "What's that smell?"

The Doctor bends down and pulls some grass up. He shows it to her, "Apple grass!"

" _Apple_ grass…"

"Yeah, yeah!" he beams at her with a large smile, and she tries not to smile back (because, really, apple grass?) but fails, "Love the apple grass!" she rolls her eyes in all good manner. The Doctor grabs her hand, "Come on!" And they dash off, ducking under flying vehicles.

"Now where are we goin'?" Donna laughs, running along with him.

.~.

* * *

.~.

In a hospital basement, The Doctor and Donna are being watched through a reddish-tinged orb, by a pale man covered with different patterns and scars. He's hunched over, dresses in drags. His eyes go wide when he spots Donna, "Human!" he gasps, awestruck, "She's pure-blood human!" he twists a control to zoom in, "Closer, closer!"

.~.

* * *

.~.

A familiar metal spider scurries closer to where the Doctor and Donna now lie. The Doctor is sprawled on the grass, lying his coat. Donna sits next to him, knees brought to her chest, they're both looking at that _beautiful_ sky. Oh, that huge, cloud filled sky that Donna now loves!

"We're just sittin'," she smiles down at him, "Thought you'd be wantin' us to go runnin' around."

"It's nice to relax for a bit. And you seem like the person to want to just sit for a while before all the running anyways."

She raises her eyebrows, "I _seem_ like the person," she pulls a face, "Hold on, you callin' me lazy?"

He jolts up immediately, eyes wide in shock, "No, no! Never! I didn't mean to - " he seems to be at a loss of words. Oh, he's too easy. He purses his lips, "...anyways," he lies back down, "Welcome to the year five billion...the sun expands, the Earth gets roasted."

Donna grins, "That was where you first took me," she nudges his leg with her foot.

The Doctor leans back to look at her, "We had chips!"

"Yeah, which _I_ had to pay for!"

They end up in a frenzy of giggles.

"So anyway," The Doctor goes on, still smiling, "Planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up...oh, yeah, they get all nostalgic...big revival movement...but find this place!" He sits up for a better look at the view, "Same size as the Earth, same air, same orbit, lovely! Call goes out, the humans move in!"

"You nerd," she snorts. He pulls an offended look, "So what's this city called?"

"New New York."

She rolls her eyes, "Oh, come on."

"It _is_!" he insists. He's breaking into a smile at her reaction, "It's the City of New New York!" he pauses, thinking, "Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original. So that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York."

Donna smiles down at him in amusement, shaking her head.

And of course, he notices. Always notices Donna Noble's smile, that smile that she gives that's only reserved for him. He feels quite special. He's very lucky to receive Donna Noble's smile.

"What?" he asks, after noticing she's still staring. What did he do?

She shakes her head, "You're just so _different_."

"New New Doctor."

She doesn't even blink at that.

"Oh, _come on_!" he whines after she has no reaction, "That was funny!"

"Was not."

He pouts, "I thought it was."

"Well, _yeah_. You think your puns and jokes are always funny."

He glares playfully, "Are you saying my puns are not funny?"

"Yup."

"Very rude!"

Donna smirks and The Doctor pouts, trying (and failing) to fight off a smile.

The metal spider watches them.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Inside the hospital basement, the scarred and patterned man, Chip, is operating the controls and turns around at the sound of a woman's voice.

"Impossible," the voice says in shock, "I recognize that woman. Her face. Show me her face!"

Chip nods at the woman's demand, "Closer. Closer!" he orders as the spider scurries across the grass, "Face! Face! _Face_!"

He watches the red-haired woman start to get up, "So, we're gonna go visit New New York...so good they bloody named it twice?"

"Well, I thought we might go there first," a man in a brown suits says, also getting up. He nods towards a large building in the distance, on the coast.

"Why would I ever wanna go in there?" she replies, eyes narrowing as she looks over at him. When she sees his crestfallen face she softens her tone, "What is it?"

Chip watches in slight amusement as the man has trouble getting his coat on because of the wind, so the red-haired woman helps him.

"Some sort of hospital," he answers, "Green moon on the side...that's the universal symbol for hospitals."

"Hmm," she mumbles, not believing he wants to just go in a hospital to look, "Any other reason?"

"I got this," he says sheepishly. The man pulls out a piece of paper, looking down at it, "A message on the psychic paper."

('Ward 26…Please Come' is scrawled across the paper.)

"Someone wants to see me," he tucks the strange paper back in his pocket.

"And I thought we were just sight-seein'," the woman remarks, "Come on then. Let's go and buy some grapes."

As she starts to walk, the man links his arm through hers so quickly before Chip even blinks. They both pause at the action before smiling each other. They start heading off again.

The spider follows them.

A gasp fills the room, " _Donna Noble_!" Chip looks over at Lady Cassandra. All she can do it hiss out Donna's name, considering she _is_ talking skin with eyes and lipstick, held upright by a metal frame, "I knew it! That dirty ginger _assassin_!"

"She's coming here, mistress!" Chip informs her.

"This is _beyond_ coincidence! This is destiny! At last I can be revenged on that ginger - "

.~.

The Doctor and Donna walk through the hospital doors of New Earth, into the reception, "Bit rich coming from you," Donna snorts.

"I can't help it," he replies, "I don't like hospitals, they give me the creeps!"

"Well you _are_ The Doctor, but alright."

 _"The Pleasure Gardens will now take visitors carrying green or blue identification cards for the next fifteen minutes. Visitors are reminded that cuttings from the gardens are not permitted,"_ an anomatronic voice says over a speaker. Staff in white robes and white veils pass by them as they walk around.

Donna looks around, "Smart. Not exactly NHS."

The Doctor looks around too, but pouting, "No shop. I like the little shop!"

"I thought this far in the future, they'd have cured everything," Donna states with a question in her voice, glancing at The Doctor.

"The human race moves on, but so do the viruses. It's an ongoing war," The Doctor informs her.

A cat nurse walks by and nods politely to Donna who stops in her tracks, and points, a gasp in her voice, "They're cats."

"Now, don't stare," The Doctor tells her with a dismissive tone, "Think what you look like to them, all..." he looks at her up and down, "purple and red."

She pulls a flat out 'excuse-me-wot-did-you-just-say-to-me?' face.

"That's where I'd put the shop!" The Doctor points over Donna's shoulder, ignoring face, "Right there!"

"But their bloody _cats_ ," she says to herself slowly, not caring about his obsession for little shops. If there was a little shop and gingers running around it The Doctor would explode with happiness, "...Like humans. But _cats_. Cats who're walkin' on two legs. Why do they have to be cats?"

Whilst Donna is looking, The Doctor waddles over to a lift that catches his attention and steps inside. Inside 'Hospital Lift One' The Doctor looks up, "Ward Twenty-six, thanks!"

.~.

In the hospital basement, Chip is watching everything The Doctor and Donna were doing, "Override controls," he orders.

.~.

" _Oi_!" Donna yells, noticing he left without her. God, he's like a child who wanders off at amusement parks, she has to hold his hand all the time, "Hold on! Hold on!" she rushes to the lift, but it's too late, the doors have closed. She pulls an annoyed face.

"Oh, too late...I'm going up," The Doctor mumbles through the door.

Well, no _duh_.

Donna huffs, "Shut up, I can _see_ that. There's another lift anyways," she rushes to the other lift and punches the button.

.~.

Inside the lift where The Doctor is, the anomatronic voice announces, _"Ward Twenty-six. And watch out for the disinfectant."_

.~.

"Ward Twenty-six!" The Doctor reminds her, "And watch out for the disinfectant!"

Donna looks at the wall next to her from where The Doctor just called out to her, "Watch out for wot?"

"The disinfectant!"

"The wot?"

"The di - oh, you'll find out," he mutters, giving up.

Donna's lift finally opens. She steps inside and faces the doors, "Ward Twenty-six. Thanks..." the doors close and the lift goes down.

.~.

 _"Commence stage one...disinfection."_

Green lights flash on around The Doctor and then he's suddenly getting soaked in a shower of disinfectant. But he's perfectly calm, doesn't bother him! He can get a good shower, ooh, lovely and then made he and Donna can -

His eyes snap open in shock.

 _Donna_.

Uh-oh.

Oh, she's going to kill him.

.~.

 _"Commence stage one...disinfection."_

Donna narrows her eyes, disinfection?

Before she knows it, she's getting drenched in the 'disinfectant'. She lets out a terrified scream.

"OH MY GOD!"

.~.

The Doctor smooths his hands through his hair, smiling to himself.

Or, more trying to calm himself, not thinking of Donna hating him at the moment. But she can't blame him! He warned her about it, she just didn't hear him!

.~.

Donna smacks the walls frantically, her eyes are screwed shut, trying to turn the shower off.

"TURN OFF. TURN OFF. TURN OFF."

.~.

A white powder puffs onto the Doctor, who barely reacts. He's not smiling anymore.

He's still worried about Donna.

Is she alright? Did she hurt herself while panicking? Is she planning ways to kill him with the closest instrument she can find?

.~.

The same white powder puffs onto Donna. She squeezes her eyes shut, pulling a shocked and disgusted face.

"FOR GOD'S SAKE."

.~.

A blow-dryer engages.

The Doctor enjoys the experience _immensely_. He can't help it, it's brilliant! He spreads his coat out to dry and smiles happily.

.~.

After the initial shock, Donna tries to tidy her hair in the gusts of wind from the blow-dryer, letting out various curses.

.~.

The lift doors for The Doctor slide open at Ward Twenty-six. The Doctor steps out, looking very well groomed if he says so himself. His hair is perfectly tidy.

 _For once,_ he can already hear Donna say. All through the ride to New Earth she kept saying how messy his hair was! Well, he'll so _her_ when she gets out.

.~.

"OH, I AM GONNA _KILL_ YOU, ALIEN BOI!"

Donna storms out of the lift, now dry, but her knuckles are clenched so tightly her fingers are digging into her skin and her face is flushed a deep, angry red. She blinks but then narrows her eyes afterwards.

She looks around, why is she in some sort of cellar?

She fixes her hair (she has this nagging sense her hair looks _dreadful_ ) while looking around the setting she's in.

"The human woman is clean," she hears a male voice come out from out of the end of the corridor.

Was he talkin' about her?

The figure comes to her view and she almost gasps at the sight of him. He's very pale, with red scars and patterns. He's dressed in hospital drags and a cap. But she doesn't gasp, because her throat feels suddenly dry, and two, that would be rude. He's probably sick and she doesn't want to pull off as rude. Not unless this guy deserves it, which doesn't seem like he does. He doesn't even look terrible when he comes into her full view. He looks...nice enough?

"Um...I'm looking for Ward Twenty-six...?" she trails off.

"This way, Donna Noble," he scurries off.

Well, shit. He knows her name. That's never a good sign.

She follows him apprehensively. Should she bring something with her? A metal rod catches her eye. Good enough. She quickly picks up, just in case.

.~.

* * *

.~.

The Doctor looks around Wayward Twenty-six in interest, "Nice place," he comments. The room is wide and very bright and white. There are long, white curtains draped down, to give each patient privacy. He's being lead by one of the staff, who's dressed in white clothes and a thin veil covers her face, she goes by Sister Jatt, "No shop, downstairs," he mentions, because _why_ wasn't there a shop? Shops are great! "I'd have a shop. Not a big one...just a shop. So people can shop."

"The hospital is a place of healing," she states taking off her white veil, (revealing she is a cat woman, but he's not phased) as if she's so surprised by his comments.

"A shop does some people the world of good," he tells her, "Not me. Other people..."

They start to walk again. The Doctor eyes a patient who is completely red. If Donna were her she would stop and stare and probably say - oh, speaking of Donna, where is she anyways?

"The Sisters of Plentitude take a lifelong vow to help," Sister Jatt explains to him, arms folded, "And to mend."

They pass a bed holding an extremely obese man, who's lying in a very large bed, and looking as though he's about to turn to stone. By the bed is a very prim woman, as soon as she sees The Doctor eyeing the almost-stoned man she marches up to him, " _Excuse me_!" her blonde hair is tied in a very tight low bun. She has black specs and matching dark clothes and a dark shade of lipstick, "Members of the public may only gaze upon the Duke of Manhattan with written permission from the Senate of New New York."

The Doctor nods over to the Duke, "That's Petrifold Regression, right?"

"I'm dying, sir," the man on the bed sighs out and flutters his eyes, "A lifetime of charity and abstinence. And it ends like this."

"Any statements made by the Duke of Manhattan may not be made public without official clearance," the woman hisses at The Doctor.

"Frau Clovis!" The Duke gasps out. She rushes to his side and grasps his hand, "I'm so weak!"

"Sister Jatt!" Frau turns to Sister Jatt, outraged, "A little privacy, please!"

Her eye brows raise, but she turns anyways, leading The Doctor away, "He'll be up and about in no time," she assures him.

"I doubt it," he replies sadly at the Duke's condition, "Petrifold Regression? He's turning to stone," he scratches the back of his head, "There won't be a cure for, oh, a thousand years? He might be up and about, but only as a statue."

"Have faith in the sisterhood," she opens her arms questioningly, "But is there no one here you recognize?"

The Doctor looks around, seeing if he - _oh_.

As if on cue, his eyes soften, when he when something - or _someone_ catches his attention. _Oh_.

"...It's rather unusual to visit without knowing the patient," Sister Jatt continues.

The Doctor smiles, "No. I think I've found him," he says softly. Sister Jatt follows his gaze. _The Face of Boe_ is in the corner of the ward by the window. They approach him and the nurse he is with, who is another cat-lady, dressed in the same clothes as Sister Jatt.

"Novice Hame...if I can leave this gentleman in your care?" Sister Jatt asks, lacing her hands together.

The Doctor looks over at her, "Oh, I think my friend got lost. Uh, Donna Noble. Could you ask at reception?"

"Certainly, sir," she nods off, leaving.

Oh, where was Donna? She'll be so happy to see The Face of Boe!

"I'm afraid the Face of Boe's asleep," Novice informs The Doctor, "That's all he tends to do these days," she moves her gaze away from the large, sleeping head and looks at The Doctor, "Are you a friend, or...?"

The Doctor shakes his head, his voice still calm and light, "We met just the once on Platform One," he tells her. He looks back at The Face of Boe, "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm so sorry. I thought you knew," she tells The Doctor, almost whispering, "The Face of Boe is dying."

"Of what?" he sounds genuinely surprised.

"Old age," she answers sadly, "The one thing we can't cure. He's thousands of years old," a smile makes it way to her face and her blue eyes light up the slightest, "Some people say millions. Although, that's impossible."

The Doctor smiles, he's beginning to like her. She's soft and sweet and doesn't seem to believe in impossible things, "Oh, no...I like impossible," he kneels before the Face of Boe, "I'm here. I look a bit different, but it's me...it's The Doctor..." he places a hand on the tank. He speaks quietly and softly, not wanting to wake the ancient being. He wonders if The Face of Boe will recognize him without the leather jacket and big ears and Northern accent.

Giving a small sigh, The Doctor thinks The Face of Boe moves a little closer to him.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Donna emerges from the corridor into a room where - an old tape is playing? She curiously looks at the flickering image being projected onto the screen. It's a glamorous party scene, everyone present are laughing and holding champagne and old, soft music is playing. Everyone is dressed so nicely, oh, that seems nice. Maybe after leaving New Earth she can make The Doctor take her _here_. She can get all fancied up and not have to worry about going into wrong room and _bloody disinfectants_.

 _"I mean, you never know what your life's going to be like! Ever!"_ a woman laughs at two men, a glass of champagne in her hand. Her long, blonde locks casscade down her back. She has bright red lipstick and light blue eye shadow, that doesn't look half bad. Her dress is a bluish, silverish color, and it looks great on her if Donna's being honest, _"I'm bored with this drink,"_ she hands it away to someone, _"Anyway...oh, hello darling!"_ she playfully pushes a man away after he whispered something in her ear, _"Now, don't! Stop it!"_

Oh, that's a bit - "Wait a minute," she narrows her eyes, the curiosity and slight enjoyment gone, "That's - " she spins around, and there she is. _Cassandra_. The man that took her here cowers beside her.

"Peekaboo!" Cassandra sings out.

Donna holds up the metal rod, pointing, "Oh, great. It's you, the bloody trampoline."

Cassandra glares right back, "The name's Cassandra, ginger."

She holds out the metal rod, making sure her arm is in Cassandra's view, smirking when she sees the flap of skin eye her, "Don't you come anywhere near me, _Cassandra_."

"Why?" she rolls her eyes, "What do you think I'm going to do? Flap you to death?"

Still annoyingly sassy. Donna thinks about snapping back, but wasting her time on her is not worth it, "Gollum over here might do something," she gestures to the hunched over man.

"Oh...that's just Chip," Cassandra says, not even caring, "He's my pet."

Donna frowns at Chip, "Pet?"

"I worship the mistress!" Chip... _chips_ in.

Cassandra suddenly gasps, "Moisturize me, moisturize me..." Chip picks up a canister and squirts Cassandra with it, "He's not even a proper life-form," she explains to Donna, as if poor Chip is not even in the room, "He's a force-grown clone. I modeled him on my favorite pattern. But he's so faithful. Chip sees to my _physical_ needs."

Oh, her mind goes to such bad places, "God, I really hope that means food," she settles her hands on her hips, "How comes you're still alive?"

"After you murdered me," Cassandra snaps, almost spitting on Donna.

Donna gestures over to her, "That was your own fault, you waste of skin."

Chip steps up and Donna raises the rod again, while eyeing the... _brain_ in a glass container, "The brain of my mistress survived," he looks back at the piece of skin like a lovesick puppy dog, "And her pretty blue eyes were salvaged from the bin."

Donna wants to swing the rod at something at Cassandra's flattered look.

"What about the skin?" she presses on, "I saw it, you - " she can't help but laugh, "You got ripped apart!"

"That piece of skin was taken from the front of my body. This piece is the back."

If that's supposed to show Donna, it doesn't, it only makes her snort, laughing harder, " _Right_! So you're talking out of your - "

"Ask not," Cassandra interrupts, not looking the least bit amused.

"The mistress was lucky to survive," Chip nods in Cassandra's direction, "Chip secreted mi'lady into the hospital."

Donna rolls her eyes, "So they don't know you're here."

Chips nods, explaining for Cassandra, "Chip steals medicine. Helps mi'lady. Soothes her. Strokes her..." he raises a hand to stroke Cassandra.

"You can stop right there, mate," Donna growls.

"But I'm so alone, hidden down here...the last human in existence..." Cassandra drags on, pouting.

Donna groans, "Oh, don't start that again, they've called this planet _New Earth_!"

"A vegetable patch," Cassandra scoffs.

"And there's millions of humans out there...millions of them..." Donna goes on, folding her arms.

"Mutant stock!"

"They evolved, Cassandra. They just evolved, like they should," Donna shrugs, "You stayed still. You got yourself all pickled and preserved, and what good did it do you?"

"Oh, I remember that night," Cassandra sighs happily, referring to the film. Oh, she didn't reply to Donna's comment? Hmm. Wonder why, "...Drinks for the Ambassador of Thrace. That was the last time anyone told me I was beautiful. After that it all became...such _hard_ work."

Donna raises an eye brow, "Well, you've got a knack for survival, I'll give you that."

"But I've not been idle, _Donna_ ," she spits out, "...tucked away, underneath this hospital...I've been listening. The Sisters are hiding something."

Donna narrows her eyes, "What d'you mean by that?"

"Oh...these cats have secrets," her lips twitch upwards the slightest, "Hush, let me whisper. Come close."

Donna laughs in disbelief, "You must be jokin' if you think I'm comin' anywhere near you!" she whirls around to leave the room only to be caught by a machine that binds her wrists with pink light so she can't move. _Great, of course,_ she thinks to herself, letting out curses under her breath. She struggles to release herself, but these stupid light binds are too strong.

"Chip!" Cassandra orders, her red lips formed into a smug grin, "Activate the psychograft!"

Chip bounds over to the controls.

Donna follows his movements, "Ugh, I can't move! Cassandra, LET ME GO!" she watches with wide eyes as Chip pulls a lever and bars of light come down from the ceiling and surround her, like a cage, "What're you doin' now?!"

"The lady's moving on. It's goodbye trampoline, and _hello_ ginger!" Cassandra cackles.

"WOT?!" Donna struggles, her lips curled, "I DON'T THINK SO!"

After a few horrifying seconds, a cloud of light jumps from Cassandra, across the room and into Donna. Chip releases the lever and Donna's now limp body falls to the ground. Chip peers over at her, "Mistress?"

Donna - _Cassandra_ \- begins to stir, "Moisturize me..." she mumbles. Chip hurries to retrieve the canister, "How bizarre..." Cassandra in Donna's body mutters, breathlessly, and Chip lowers the canister, "...arms... fingers..." she stops and gasps, "Hair!" she presses her fingers to her ends of ginger hair, "Let me see! Let me see!" she shrieks in delight, springing to her and dashes to a mirror. Her eyes widen in horror, "Oh my God. I have _ginger_ hair! Ginger!"

.~.

* * *

.~.

 _"Hope, harmony and health. Hope, harmony and health,"_ the anomatronic voice repeats. The Doctor crosses the ward and gives Hame a cup of water.

She takes gently, rests it in her lap, smiling up at him and he smiles right back, "That's very kind. But there's no need."

The Doctor goes over to the window, "You're the one working."

"There's not much to do," she says gently, "Just maintain his smoke. And I suppose I'm company," The Doctor takes a sip of his water, turning away from the view to look back at Hame and The Face of Boe, "I can hear him singing, sometimes. In my mind...such ancient songs..." she mumbles in wonder.

"Am I the only visitor?" The Doctor asks her.

"The rest of Boe-kind became extinct. Long ago. He's the only one left," she looks back up at him, "Legend says that the Face of Boe has watched the universe grow old," The Doctor smiles at her interest and wonder, "There's all sorts of superstitions around him. One story says that just before his death, the Face of Boe will impart his great secret. That he will speak those words only to one like himself."

"What does that mean?"

"It's just a story," she giggles kindly, as if she was embarassed for going on. If she could, he wonders if she would blush.

"Tell me the rest."

"It's said he'll talk to a wanderer," she continues, "To the man without a home," The Doctor can't help but...recognize himself in this sentence, "The lonely God."

.~.

* * *

.~.

Cassandra still stands in front of the mirror looking at Donna's body, absolutely horrified, "Look at me!" she cries out frantically, "From class to brass! Although..." she bits her lip, undoing some of the buttons of Donna's blouse slowly, and runs her hands over her body, "Ooh...curves...oh, baby..." she bounces up and down, Chip following suit, "It's like living inside a bouncy castle!" she laughs, delighted.

"Mistress is beautiful!" Chips nods to her new body.

"Ooh, I'd never admit it to the ginger but, ooh - absolutema!" she bites her lips, "Such lovely lips! Mmm!" her eyes catch her old frame, which is empty, "Oh, but look..."

"Oh...!" Chip gasps in a sadden, surprised tone, "The brain lead expired...my old mistress is gone."

Cassandra-Donna leans over, "But safe and sound in here," she taps her head.

"What of the Donna woman's mind?" Chip asks.

Cassandra runs her fingers through Donna's hair, "Oh...tucked away..." she runs her hands over Donna's chest. Absolutely marvelous breasts this woman has! "I can just about access the surface memory, she's..." she pauses to think, but then gasps in shock, "Gosh...she's with The Doctor...a man...he's The Doctor... the same Doctor with a new face! That _hypocrite_! I must get the name of his surgeon," she turns on her heel to look in the mirror again, "I could do with a little work. Although..." she runs her hand over Donna's bum, "Nice rear bumper. Hmm!" she smiles. Then, Donna's mobile rings, "Oh...it seems to be ringing...is it meant to ring?" she pulls Donna's mobile out of her back pocket of her jeans (which does _fantastic_ things for her hips!) and stares at it.

"A primitive communications device," Chip says.

Cassandra presses a button and The Doctor's voice is on the other end, _"Donna, where are you?"_

Cassandra places the mobile to her ear, but covers it up with her other hand, her voice a whisper, "How does she speak?"

"She seems to be from London, Chiswick. Old Earth."

She lifts the phone back up to her ear, (which has the loveliest pair of earrings, if she says so herself) "Uhm...wotcha..."

 _"Where've you been? How long does it take to get to Ward Twenty-six?"_

Cassandra puts on a forced voice, ooh, this man even _sounds_ handsome, "I'm on my way, governor. I shall proceed up the Apples and Pears."

 _"You'll never guess,"_ The Doctor tells her, _"I'm with the Face of Boe!_ _Remember him?"_

Cassandra makes Donna laugh through gritted teeth, "Course I do...that big old...boat...race..."

.~.

* * *

.~.

The Doctor shakes his head, distracted by something on the Duke's bed, "I'd better go. See you in a minute!" he replaces the receiver. The Duke is laughing. He and Frau Clovis both have a glass of champagne

"Didn't think I was going to make it!" The Duke laughs again. The Doctor wanders over and sees the Duke spot him, "It's that man again!" The Doctor forces a smile, scratching his ear absent-mindedly, "He's my good luck charm! Come in! Don't be shy!"

Frau smiles back, "Any friendship expressed by the Duke of Manhattan does not constitute a form of legal contract."

The Doctor nods.

"Winch me up," The Duke says, giving The Doctor the thumbs up. Frau presses a button on a remote and the bed tilts forwards, "Ah! Look at me! No sign of infection!"

A waiter comes up to The Doctor, "Champagne, sir?"

The Doctor shakes his head, "No thanks," he turns back to the Duke, something's wrong, "Uh...you had Petrifold Regression, right?"

"That being the operative word! Past tense! Completely cured," he laughs joyfully.

The Doctor's not as joyful as he should be, "But that's impossible."

Another cat-lady member of the staff comes up to him, "Primitive species would accuse us of magic, but it's merely the tender application of science."

The Doctor turns towards her, "How on Earth did you cure him?"

"How on _New_ Earth, you might say," she grins.

The Doctor nods over to the drip, two bags filled with violet and bright orange liquid, "What's in that solution?"

"A simple remedy."

"Then tell me what it is," he challenges.

She shakes her head, "I'm sorry. Patient confidentiality. I don't believe we've met. My name is Matron Casp."

He nods back, "I'm The Doctor."

She gives him a sly smile, "I think you'll find that we're the doctors here."

Sister Jatt comes up to Matron Casp, "Matron Casp...you're needed in intensive care."

Matron Casp turns back to The Doctor, "If you would excuse me."

The Doctor nods to her and she leaves with Sister Jatt. He watches them walk away, knitting his eye brows.

Sister Jatt glances over at Matron Casp, "It's happened again," she says quietly so no one - especially this Doctor - can hear, "One of the patients is conscious."

"Oh..." she shakes her head, "...we can't have that..."

She doesn't need to look back to know that The Doctor is watching them suspiciously.

.~.

* * *

.~.

"This Doctor man is dangerous," Chip informs Cassandra-Donna.

Cassandra-Donna flicks her hair back up, fixing herself up in the mirror. Her lavender blouse is thrown onto the ground, now she's in an orange halter tank top, which she may or may not have pushed down to make her breasts more visible. She even added thick bracelets to her right wrists to complete the look, "Dangerous and clever. I might need a mind like his. The Sisterhood is up to something. Remember that old Earth saying...?" she bites her lip yet again, thinking for the phrase, "Never trust a Nun. Never trust a n _urse_. And _never_ trust a cat. Perfume?" Chip takes a small tube of perfume out of his pocket and gives it to her. She pushes it down her cleavage. She then strides out of the room with purpose.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Sister Jatt and Matron Casp pass luminous green doors in intensive care, "It was having a perfectly normal blood-wash. And all of a sudden, it started crying," she stops over at green door, "It's this one," they both open one of the doors and look inside.

Diseased hands reach out to them, "Please..." the patient begs.

"Look at its eyes. So alive," Sister Jatt mumbles.

"Positively sparkling!" Matron Casp adds.

"Please...where am I?" he asks, hands shaking.

"And speech! How can it even have a vocabulary?"

"Sister Corvin's written a thesis on the migration of sentients. She calls it 'The Echo of Life'," Sister Jatt explains, "It's well worth a read."

"Help me..." the patient gasps out.

"I've seen enough, thank you," Matron Casp pulls back, disgusted. They shut the door and walk away, "If this happens again, we might have to review our brain stem policy."

"And what should we do with the patient?" Sister Jatt asks.

"Standard proceedure. Incinerate," she says dismissively and rounds to a corner. Sister Jatt pulls a lever on the wall, and there is a terrible, pained scream from the patient's cell as it glows white. She leaves.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Cassandra-Donna finally emerges onto Ward Twenty-six, still smoothing down her hair. She spots The Doctor examining various drips, with glasses on. He's looking at some bags, and stops, lifting one that is green, a concentrated look on his face. Ooh, isn't he just _delicious_? She smiles when he notices her.

"There you are!" he beams, "Come and look at this patient!" he takes her arm, leading her to a patient who's skin is completely red. She shivers when his hand rests on her lower back. He takes off his glasses, "Marconi's Disease. Should take years to recover. Two days," she eyes the man with wide eyes, oh, _disgusting_ , "I've never seen anything like it...they've invented a cell washing cascade...it's amazing. Their medical science is _way_ advanced," she gnaws on her lip because he's talking and he's so _close_ to her, "And this one!" he leads her to another bed sporting a man who is completely _white_ , "Pallidome Pancrosis. Kills you in ten minutes, and he's fine!" he waves cheerily to the patient, "I need to find a terminal. I've got to see how they do this."

They walk off, and The Doctor notices - no, no, _not_ noticing he's _not_ noticing - the way she's swinging her hips, walking with a proud stride. He takes a deep breath, _just mates,_ "...Because if they've got the best medicine in the world, then why's it such a secret?"

He can't help but notice how she seems to be almost pressed up against him, "I can't Adam and Eve it."

The Doctor narrows his eyes, confused, "What's...what's with the voice?"

She looks up at him, "Ah've no idea what yer talkin' about," she clears her throat.

"Uh-huh."

"...just larking about New Earth...new _me_..." she eyes him up and down, resting her hands on her hips, puffing her chest out.

And _that's_ when he notices.

She's out of her lovely lavender blouse, and in an orange halter tank top, and it does wonders for making her eyes and hair stand out.

But her shirt...it's...well, it's sort of...it's...exposing her...her... _breasts_. He shifts, his cheeks tinging pink, "W-well, I can talk," he hates himself for letting his eyes linger too long on her. He looks back up, "New new Doctor," he grins shakily.

Now, why is she looking at him like that?

She's inching closer, why is he inching closer? Is he going to get slapped? He deserves it, he totally does.

"Mmm... aren't you just..." she's biting her lower lip (since when does she do that?) and very suddenly pulls his face towards her and plants a smacking _kiss_ on his lips. She's kissing him. _Donna Noble_ is _kissing_ him. The Doctor's eyes widen even more when she presses her _lovely_ breasts against his, moving her body loudly along his, her hands digging into his hair. He even feels the tip of her tongue enter his mouth and oh stars, she is so _good_ at this.

And he's enjoying this.

Oh no, he's _enjoying_ this. Oh, this is bad, this is very, _very_ bad.

When she finally pulls away, his now rosy skin, flames crimson. He stares at her, as if his eyes can't get any wider. She's slightly breathless, her lips wet and her chest heaving.

Why - why would she - why did -

"Donna!" he stumbles back, "What the hell was that?!"

She giggles, "Oh, _that_ was fantastic."

He shakes his head, shaking and outraged, "N-no!" Oh, it was. It was _amazing_ , "W-what happened to _just_ mates?! You can't just - " he gulps loudly, "- you _said_ \- D-Donna!"

Donna laughs loudly, hands on her hips again, still breathless, "Oh, you're too bloody _easy_!" she's shifting and her eyes are widening, "It was...just something on of the staff told me to do!" her eyes are beaming, "Ooh, that...w-was _hilarious_!" She flicks her hair, and he opens and closes his mouth, not seeing her eyes trace his movements. She smirks, "Terminal's this way..." she clears her throat, "spaceman?"

She walks off, exhaling slightly.

He watches her go, extremely dazed and tousled.

.~.

The Doctor and Cassandra-Donna are looking at details of the hospital on a screen, "Nope...nothing odd..." The Doctor mumbles, looking through, "...surgery... post-op... nano-dentistry...no sign of a shop... _they should have a shop_."

Cassandra-Donna walks around him, staring intensely at the screen, "No, it's missing something else. When I was downstairs, those Nursecatnuns were talking about Intensive Care, but where is it...?"

The Doctor glances over at Donna, eyeing her up and down. She's doing that voice again, "You're right, well done."

"Why would they hide a whole department?" she continues, watching with interested eyes as The Doctor takes his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, "It's gotta be there somewhere. Search the sub-frame."

"...What if the sub-frame's locked?" The Doctor asks. How does Donna know a sub-frame?

She rolls her eyes, "Try the installation protocol..."

Course. 'Cos Donna knows what that is too. He scans the screen, "Yeah, course. Sorry. Hold on," he clicks his sonic screwdriver off and the entire wall moves downwards, revealing a secret corridor behind. Cassandra-Donna smirks and walks straight into it. The Doctor follows, something happened to Donna before she came here. He knew it as soon as she...as soon as she...kissed him. What happened to her, though?

"Intensive Care. Certainly looks intensive," The Doctor comments, looking around.

Behind them, Novice Hame watches them enter the corridor. She follows quietly.

The Doctor and Cassandra-Donna go down metal steps into Intensive Care. They find themselves in the huge cavernous chamber, looking upon rows and rows of green doors. The Doctor walks along one of the rows and opens a door with his sonic screwdriver. They are face to face with a man, covered in boils and surrounded by smoke, who looks back at them, "That's disgusting!" Cassandra-Donna almost shrieks. What happened to his Donna? She would never say such a thing, never to a person in this _horrible_ state, "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm sorry," is all The Doctor says, eyes wide, horrified by this, "I'm so sorry."

Cassandra-Donna holds her nose whilst the Doctor closes the door gently. He opens another. Cassandra-Donna peers at the woman inside, "What disease is that?"

"All of them," he answers, quietly disgusted, wondering how they could do such a thing, "Every single disease in the galaxy, they've been infected with everything."

Cassandra-Donna shifts, biting her lip, "What about _us_? Are we safe?"

"The air's sterile. Just don't touch them," he shuts the door and then leans over the railing, looking upon the rows of doors.

Cassandra-Donna follows, "How many patients are there?"

"They're not patients," he answers grimly.

"But they're sick."

He rounds on her, teeth clenching and hands fisted at his side, "They were born sick. They're meant to be sick. They _exist_ to be sick. Lab rats. No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm!"

"Why don't they just _die_?" Cassandra-Donna asks, following The Doctor, who's walking with a glare, hands swinging at his sides, the intense look of a horrified, disgusted, _furious_ Time Lord.

"Plague carriers," he almost growls, stopping at another green door, "The last to go."

Novice Hame aappears at the end of the row, "It's for the greater cause."

"Novice Hame," The Doctor turns to her, oh, not her, "When you took your vows, did you agree to this?"

She walks towards them, "The Sisterhood has sworn to help."

"What, by killing?" The Doctor shouts.

"But they're not real people," she says gently, calmly, "They're specially grown. They have no proper existence."

The Doctor advances towards her dangerously, hands clenched inside his suit pockets, "What's the turnover? Hmm? Thousand a day? Thousand the next? Thousand the next? How many thousand? For how many years? HOW MANY?!"

"Mankind needed us," she tries to explain, "They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope. We did try. We tried everything. We tried using clone-meat and bio-cattle...but the results were too slow. So the sisterhood grew its own flesh. That's all they are. Flesh."

"These people are alive," he argues.

"But think of those humans out there...healthy and happy, because of us."

"If they live because of this, then life is _worthless_."

"But who are you to decide that?"

The Doctor steps forward, "I'm The Doctor. And if you don't like it...if you want to take it to a higher authority, then there isn't one. It stops with me."

Cassandra-Donna peers over The Doctor's almost heaving shoulder, "Just to confirm...none of the humans in the city actually know about this?" The Doctor glances down at her, at her form, at her calmness, her left arm is held up by her right hand that is holding her elbow, she's biting her lip and running her hand along her mouth and he's angry but now - he's even more furious, he's had enough of this. _What_ had they done to _his_ Donna?

"We thought it best not - "

"Hold on," The Doctor interrupts, "I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. But one thing I can't understand, what have you done to Donna?"

Cassandra-Donna's movements stop immediately and Hame's blue eyes go wide in confusion, "I don't know what you mean."

"And I'm being very, very calm," he hisses out, deadly quietly, "You wanna beware of that...very, very calm. And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Donna's head, I want it reversed."

"We haven't done anything," she insists and he doesn't believe her for a _second_ , not after what he found out they're doing.

Donna glares over at him, "I'm perfectly fine!"

"These people are dying," he hisses out, "And Donna _would care_."

Donna rolls her eyes, giving up on trying to seem normal, "Pfft, oh, alright, clever clogs," she spins him around to face her. His eyes go wide, is wasn't the Sisters? They didn't do anything to her? She pulls his tie out flirtatiously, smiling and swaying her body and he is absolutely _disgusted_ , "Smarty pants..." she leans closer, whispering huskily, "Lady-killer."

"What's happened to you?" he doesn't react to her movements because this _isn't his Donna_. But he wants her _back_.

"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed _this_ body," she glances down at 'herself' and then looks back up at him, "and your mind to find it out."

"Who are you?" he narrows his eyes.

She stands on tip toes to whisper into the Doctor's ear, "The last human..."

"Cassandra?" he pulls back, unpleasantly surprised. _Cassandra_?

"Wake up and smell the perfume!" she quickly takes the tube of perfume and skirts it in his face and before he knows it, he sees blackness and he kneels over, unconscious.

Hame quickly kneels to his side, "You've hurt him! I don't understand...I'll have to fetch Matron!"

"You do that, 'cos I want to see her," she curls her bitten lips, "Now, _run along_! _Sound_ the alarm!"

Hame quickly gets up, hurrying off. Cassandra-Donna rips a cable out and an alarm goes off. She smiles, satisfied. Ooh, now this is going to be _fun_!

.~.

* * *

.~.

Hame emerges from Intensive Care into the hospital and meets Matron Casp and Sister Jatt going in, "Matron! It's that man. And the girl!" she gasps out, alarmed.

"We heard the alarm, now get back to work. Tend to your patients," Matron Casp says calmly.

Hame hurries off at her order and Matron Casp and Sister Jatt walk into Intensive Care.

.~.

* * *

.~.

The Doctor wakes up, finding himself inside one of the cells in Intensive Care. No, no, he needs to save these patients, he needs to save Donna! "Let me out! Let me out!" he demands.

"Aren't you lucky there was a spare?" Don - _Cassandra_ \- looks through the door, "Standing room only."

He grits his teeth together, "You've stolen Donna's body."

"Over the years, I've thought of a thousand ways to kill you, Doctor," she runs her hand along the glass, "And now, that's exactly what I've got. One thousand diseases. They pump the patients with a top-up every ten minutes. You've got about...three minutes left. Enjoy..." she leans in closer, a smirk playing on her lips, "... _spaceman_."

"Just let Donna go, Cassandra."

"I will!" she sighs, "...As soon as I've found someone _younger_ and...less common...then I'll junk her with the waste. Now hushaby! It's showtime."

She goes to move away, Chip now with her, but Matron Casp and Sister Jatt approach Cassandra-Donna, "Anything we can do to help?" Matron Casp asks, smirking.

Cassandra-Donna flicks her hair, "Straight to the point, whiskers. I want money."

"The Sisterhood is a charity. We don't _give_ money. We only...accept," Matron Casp says innocently.

"The humans across the water pay you a fortune. And that's exactly what I need. A one-off payment. That's all I want...oh, and perhaps a yacht. In return for which, I shall tell the city nothing of your institutional murder. Is that a deal?" she challenges them, walking forwards.

Sister Jatt presses a few buttons on a remote.

"I'm afraid not," Matron Casp smiles.

Cassandra-Donna twirls a strand of her hair, "I'd _really_ advise you to think about this."

"There's no need. I have to decline," Matron Casp's smile only widens, it's sly and sneaky and _clever_.

"I'll tell them! And you've no way of stopping me! You're not exactly nuns with guns..." she snorts, "you're not even armed!"

"Who needs arms when we have claws?" Matron Casp hisses menacingly, her claws shoot out of her paws.

Cassandra-Donna smiles, intimidated, "Well, nice try," she spins around to call to Chip who's still waiting nearby, "Chip? Plan B!"

Chip pulls a lever and _every cell door_ on the row springs open. The Doctor steps out of his cell, along with the infected people, "What've you done?" he yells, glaring hard at the nurses.

"Gave the system a shot of adrenaline," Cassandra-Donna quickly answers and he spins towards her. _She_ did this! "Just to wake 'em up. See ya!" she runs off.

He turns back to the nurses, "Don't touch them! Whatever you do, don't touch!" he dashes after Cassandra-Donna and Chip. And he really hopes when he saves Donna that she will make Cassandra pay.

The infected zombie-like people limp and walk up to Sister Jatt and Matron Casp

"I think we should withdraw," Sister Jatt speaks calmly.

"We understood what you did to us. As part of the machine, we know the machine..." a man advances towards them slowly tells them.

Matron Casp starts backing away, "Fascinating. It's actually constructing an argument."

"And we...will end it," he plunges his hands into the electrics, electrocuting himself to death but causing every single cell door in Intensive Care to explode open. Cassandra-Donna screams as she, The Doctor and Chip run for their lives along the row. The infected people start to leave their cells.

Sister Jatt looks over the rails, horrified, "They're free. By the Goddess Centauri...the flesh is free!"

The zombies stagger slowly towards them, muttering, "Stop the pain..." and reaching out to them. Sister Jatt tries to hiss at them, trying to get them away with her claws, but she's is against the wall and one of the people touches her. Matron Casp watches in horror as she immediately breaks out in boils, screaming with pain.

The Doctor, Cassandra-Donna and Chip pause for a moment and watch all the zombies break out of their cells.

"Oh my God!" Cassandra-Donna screams in horror.

The Doctor rounds on her, "What the hell have you done?!"

She gasps, insulted, "It wasn't me!"

"One touch and you get every disease in the world, and I want her body safe, Cassandra! We've gotta go down! The zombies are advancing."

She shakes her head, "But there's thousands of them!"

"Run!" he orders and she screams, zooming down the stairs, "Down! Down! Go down!" The Doctor and Chip quickly follow her.

Matron Casp picks up a phone, "Quarantine the building!" she orders, hags up, and runs.

The zombie people follow The Doctor, Cassandra-Donna and Chip down the stairs, arms outstretched, "Keep going!" The Doctor shouts, "Go down!" They descend the last flight of stairs and burst through a door into the cellar. Cassandra-Donna frantically tries to operate the lifts.

The Doctor stops, "No, the lifts have closed down. That's the quarantine, nothing's moving."

"This way!" Cassandra-Donna points, and she runs the other way, The Doctor on her heel. No way she is getting out of his sight. More of the infected people are beginning to spill out from converging corridor. Chip is left behind. He whimpers.

The Doctor begins to go back after the whimpering man, "Someone will touch him!"

Cassandra-Donna snatches his arm, "Leave him! He's just a clone thing, he's only got a half life... _come on_!"

"Mistress!" Chip calls out pitifully, but she's already running in the opposite direction.

The Doctor looks at Chip, reaching a hand out, a loss at words for a moment, "I'm sorry, I can't let her escape!" he runs after her, out of sight.

"My Mistress!" Chip screams out, terrified. The infected people advance on him. Whimpering, he runs back in the direction he came from and jumps down the waste chute.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Inside the hospital basement, The Doctor and Cassandra-Donna rush back into the room where Donna met Cassandra, slamming the door behind them. Cassandra-Donna tries another door but seeing the zombies all clambering to get in behind it, she slams it shut again, "We're trapped! What're we going to do?!" she cries out.

The Doctor looks at her with the most terrifying expression she has ever seen. She cowers back a little, "Well, for starters, you're going to leave her body," he gestures up at the psychograft with his sonic screwdriver, "That psychograft is banned on every civilized planet! You're compressing Donna to death."

"But I've got nowhere to go!" she protests, "My original skin's dead."

"Not my problem," he growls, "You can float as atoms in the air. Now, get out," he points his sonic screwdriver at her threateningly, "Give her _back to me_."

She glares at him, "You asked for it," she breathes out a cloud of light, going from Donna's body into the The Doctor's.

Donna gasps, almost falling down onto the floor, disorientated, "Blimey, my head..." she looks around the room, "Oi! Cassandra! Where the hell did you go?! I am going to rip you apart for taking over my body!"

"Oh, my," Donna spins around to The Doctor, who's smirking and wiggling, "This is...different."

Please, don't let this be what she thinks it is, "Cassandra?!"

"Goodness me, I'm a man!" Cassandra, in The Doctor's body, giggles, "Yum. So many parts! And hardly used..." Cassandra-Doctor wiggles around crazily, "Ah... _ah_! Two hearts!" he praises, and lays a hand on The Doctor's chest, "Ooh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!" she swings his hips, delighted.

"Get out of him," Donna hisses, ignoring the pain on her lips.

Cassandra-Doctor runs a hand down his body and Donna makes a 'what-the-hell-oh-God-why' face that only she can pull off, "Ooh, he's slim. And a little bit foxy," he smirks over at Donna, "Oh, _how_ can you only show a tiny bit of interest in this?" she runs her hand down his chest seductively, "I'm gorgeous like this!"

"Wait, wot?"

Cassandra-Doctor rolls his eyes, "Oh, _please_. Everyone's interested in him," she licks his lips, stopping for a moment before glancing back at Donna, eyeing her up and down, "Ooh, he seems to fancy you."

Donna's cheeks tint bright pink, "WOT?!"

Cassandra-Doctor glares, "Oh, don't shout."

"Cassandra..." Donna growls, storming up to him. The Doctor's eyes widen as she grips him by his tie and punches him in the jaw, "THAT'S FOR STEALING MY BLOODY BODY AND MAKING ME KISSTHE DOCTOR."

Cassandra-Doctor whimpers, hand pressed to her jaw, "Y-you _punched_ me! You hit your boy - your friend!"

"I DON'T CARE. IT'S HIS FAULT YOU GOT IN MY BODY AND WE WOULDN'T BE IN THIS BLOODY MESS IF I NEVER MET YOU, SO YOU CAN GO PISS OFF OUT OF HIS BODY!" Donna shrieks, absolutely outraged.

The zombie people suddenly burst through the doors making them both jump, "What do we do? What would he do?!" she pats Donna's arm frantically, "The Doctor...what the hell would he do?!" Cassandra-Doctor frantically asks, brown eyes going wide.

Donna spins around and sighs out when she sees a ladder, "We've gotta get up - "

Cassandra-Doctor shoves Donna roughly out of the way to get to the ladder first, "Out of the way, ginger!"

"I am going to _scrap you to the bloody floor_ ," Donna curls her lips, getting ready to just grab The Doctor's body by the hair, maybe she can punch Cassandra out of his body - the zombies come even closer and Donna hurriedly follows Cassandra-Doctor up the ladder.

.~.

* * *

.~.

At Intensive Care, zombies approaching from both directions.

Chip, still alive, whimpers and backs into one of the cells, shutting the door on himself.

.~.

* * *

.~.

"If you get out of the Doctor's body, he can think of somethin'!" Donna calls up to Cassandra-Doctor.

"Yap yap yap...God, it was tedious inside your head!" Cassandra-Doctor whines.

"If we don't die right now I will kill you myself you fuc - " Donna suddenly screams, and looks down to see Matron Casp grab her ankle, "Ah! Get off!"

Matron Casp gasps out, "All our good work! All that healing!"

Cassandra-Doctor rolls his eyes dramatically.

"...The good name of the Sisterhood...you have destroyed everything!" she hisses out.

"Go and play with a ball of string," Cassandra-Doctor says dismissively.

"Everywhere...disease! This is the human world. Sickness!" A diseased hand grabs Matron Casp's ankle. She wails in pain and breaks out into boils before falling down the lift shaft, wailing in pain. After watching her fall, the zombie people start to climb the ladder again.

Donna looks back up, trying to get that scene erased from her head, "Move!"

Cassandra-Doctor whimpers and hastily starts to climb the ladder again. They get to the top of the ladder and find the lift doors are sealed, "Now what do we do?!"

"Use the sonic screwdriver!" she shouts up.

Cassandra-Doctor takes it out of his pocket between his thumb and forefinger with his nose wrinkled. If she makes him drop it... "You mean this thing?"

Donna rests her head on the cool, metal rails of the ladder, trying to calm herself down, "Mhmm. The thing that looks like a screwdriver," she glares up, "Yes, I mean that thing!"

"Well, I don't know how to use it! That Doctor's hidden away all his thoughts."

 _Wish I could do that,_ Donna thinks to herself with a grumble. Oh, she is so gonna regret this, "Cassandra, go back into me...The Doctor can open it. Do it!"

Cassandra-Doctor shrugs, "Okay, then. Hold on tight," Cassandra leaps back into Donna, "Oh...oh, the ginger woman again," she looks back up at The Doctor, "Open it!"

The Doctor points his sonic screwdriver at her, (oh, his jaw is killing him), "Not 'til you get out of her."

"We need The Doctor," she snarls up at him.

"I order you to leave her!" The Doctor shouts angrily and she hates how it terrifies her. Oh, _why_ is he like this?

Cassandra sighs loudly and leaps back into The Doctor.

Donna blinks up at The Doctor, or, now Cassandra again. That bloody moron, they _need_ him!

"No matter how difficult the situation, there is no need to shout," Cassandra-Doctor informs her, making the most _ridiculous_ faces ever.

Donna groans, "Cassandra, get out of him!"

She rolls her eyes as though it were obvious, "But I can't go into you, he simply refuses, he's so rude!"

"I don't care! Just do something!"

Cassandra-Doctor pulls a disgusted, reluctant face, "Oh, I am so gonna regret this..." Cassandra leaps from The Doctor's body into a diseased woman's body. She looks down at herself in disgust, "Oh, sweet Lord...I look disgusting!"

The Doctor opens the lift doors after shaking his head. He holds out a hand to Donna, "Oh, you have no idea how good it is to have you back."

"No, you don't..." Cassandra in the zombie's body glares and she leaps back into Donna, who crouches on the floor, sliding against a wall.

The Doctor seals the door with a slam, "That was your _last_ warning, Cassandra!"

Cassandra-Donna stares into space, not listening to his warning, "Inside her head..." she mumbles quietly, "...they're so alone...they keep reaching out, just to hold us... all their lives and they've never been touched," The Doctor calms down a bit and holds out a hand, which Cassandra-Donna takes after a few seconds. He pulls her to her feet and they stare at each other for a few, short seconds. The diseased people bang on the lift doors. The Doctor and Cassandra-Donna walk off, through a door which leads back onto Ward Twenty Six.

Frau Clovis brandishes a chair at the two of them menacingly, roaring like a wild animal.

"We're safe! We're safe! We're safe," The Doctor assures her, "We're clean! We're clean! Look, look..."

"Show me your skin!" she orders.

He indeed shows her his hands, so does Cassandra-Donna, even twisting her body, which was not needed, "Look! Clean. Look, if we'd been touched, we'd be dead," Frau nods and puts the chair down. He stuffs his screwdriver in his jacket, "So, how's it going up here? What's the status?"

"There's nothing but silence from the other wards," she explains, "I think we're the only ones left. And I've been trying to override the quarantine," she fiddles with a small device she is holding, "If I can trip a signal over to New New York, they can send a private executive squad."

The Doctor shakes his head, "You can't do that. If they forced entry, they'd break quarantine."

"I _am_ not dying in here!" she yells at him, determined and angry.

"We can't let a single particle of disease get out!" he points to the window, where the city is, "There is ten million people in that city, they'd all be at risk!" he yells, "Now, turn that off!"

Frau shakes her head, "Not if it gets me out."

"Alright, fine. So I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me," he turns around, " _Donna_. Novice Hame. Everyone! Excuse me your grace...get me intravenous solutions for _every single_ disease. Move it!" Everyone starts gathering all the solutions. The Doctor ties a rope around his body and Cassandra-Donna attaches the solutions to it so they hang off him, "How's that? Will that do?"

"I don't know!" Cassandra-Donna shrieks, "Will it do for what?" The Doctor opens the doors to the lift with his sonic screwdriver, "The lifts aren't working!"

The Doctor peers down the shaft, "Not moving. Different thing," he steps right back, ready for a running jump, "Here we go," he sticks the sonic screwdriver between his teeth and runs.

Cassandra-Donna narrows her eyes, "But you're not going to..." with wide eyes, she watches as he jumps into the middle of the shaft and clings onto the rope, "What do you think you're doing?!"

"I'm going down!" he fixes up the wench with his sonic screwdriver. Cassandra-Donna looks away, exasperated, "Come on!"

She laughs in disbelief, "Not in a _million_ years!"

"I need another pair of hands. What do you think? If you're so desperate to stay alive...why don't you live a little?" he wiggles his eye brows.

The doors close because of Frau, leaving Cassandra-Donna trapped with the zombies and she has no choice but to jump into the lift shaft and onto The Doctor's back with a regretful moan, "You're completely mad. I can see why she likes you."

He smirks at her comment, "Going down!" they whizz down the shaft, screaming, harsh, fast wind making their hair sweep in their faces. They straighten themselves out when they reach the bottom.

"Well, that's one way to lose weight," Cassandra-Donna remarks.

"Now, listen, when I say so, take hold of that lever," The Doctor orders.

She pulls down her shirt, glaring, "There's still a quarantine down there, we can't - !"

"Hold that lever!" he shouts. Cassandra-Donna backs down, "I'm cooking up a cocktail. I know a bit about medicine myself," he rips the tops of the packets of each solution with his teeth and skirts them into the clear container where the disinfectant for the lift should go, "Now, that lever's going to resist. But keep it in position," he opens a trapdoor in the top of the lift, "Hold onto it with everything you've got."

"What about you?"

"I've got an appointment. The Doctor is in," and he drops down into the lift. He opens the doors with his sonic screwdriver. Beyond, are all the infected people huddled in groups. When they see him, they start to come towards him, "I'm in here, come on!"

"Don't _tell_ them!" Cassandra-Donna shouts at him.

"Pull that lever!" the infected people stagger towards the lift, "Come and get me, come on! I'm in here, _come on_!" they reach out to him.

 _"Commence stage one... disinfection,"_ the anomatronic voice says.

"Hurry up, come on!" The Doctor beckons them towards him. The solution showers into the lift, soaking him, "Come on, come on!" he urges and the infected people stumble into the shower and are also getting socked with the medicine, "All they wanna do is pass it on," he says enthusiastically, "Pass it _onnnn_!" he jumps up and down.

"Pass on what?" Cassandra-Donna echos back in confusion, "Pass on what?!"

"Pass it on!" The Doctor shouts, not answering her. The infected people touch each other, and pass on their good health. The boils begin to disappear. The Doctor grins manically.

Cassandra-Donna jumps down into the lift with The Doctor's help, "What did they pass on? Did you kill them? All of them?"

As if he would kill them! "No. That's your way of doing things," he walks into their midst, "I'm The Doctor and I cured them," the new humans look around at their surroundings, slightly child-like. A woman comes up to The Doctor and hugs him tightly, "That's right!" he says gently, "Hey, hey! There we go, sweetheart! Aye? Look at him..." he ushers her off to sit with someone, "Go on, that's it! That's it! It's a new sub-species, Cassandra!" he takes a man by the shoulders and looks at him, "A brand new form of life! New humans! Look at them, _look_!" he bends down to look at a woman with a huge smile on his face, "Grown by cats...kept in the dark, fed by tubes...but completely, _completely_ alive!" he points at Cassandra-Donna, "You can't deny them, because you helped create them," she rolls her eyes, "The human race just keeps on going. Keeps on changing. Life will out! Ha!"

.~.

 _"This is the NNYPD. Please step away from the shuttles. All visitors to the hospital will be required to make a statement to the NNYPD."_

The Doctor, now in his white shirt and tie, walks around with Cassandra-Donna, watching officers take away the nurses. One of them takes Novice Hame, she glances The Doctor sadly, and he returns the look. She hangs her head down in shame, disappearing from their view.

The Doctor suddenly remembers, "The Face of Boe!" he dashes off again, pulling on his jacket again. Cassandra-Donna rolls her eyes before following him into Ward Twenty-six. The Doctor approaches the Face of Boe who looks very much alive and well. He smiles, buttoning up his jacket, "You were supposed to be dying."

"There are better things to do today. Dying can wait," The Face of Boe says through telepathy.

"Oh, I hate telepathy. Just what I need, a head full of big face," Cassandra-Donna mutters.

"Shh!" The Doctor glances at her, face full of annoyance. He turns back to The Face of Boe.

"...I have grown tired with the universe, Doctor, but you have taught me to look at it anew."

The Doctor kneels before him, "There are legends you know, saying that you're millions of years old."

The Face of Boe laughs slightly, "There are? That would be impossible."

"Wouldn't it just? I got the impression...there was something you wanted to tell me..."

The Face of Boe nods, "A great secret..."

"So the legend says."

"It can wait."

The Doctor pouts, "Oh, does it have to?"

"We shall meet again, Doctor, for the third time...for the last time...and the truth shall be told. Until that day..." he teleports himself away.

"That is enigmatic," The Doctor grins, very impressed, "That-that is-that is textbook enigmatic," he nods to himself, and then stands to face at Cassandra-Donna, who has been examining her nails, completely disinterested in the proceedings, "And now for you."

She looks up, alarmed, "But...everything's happy. Everything's fine...can't you just leave me?" she tries to look seductive and pleasing, but it doesn't work.

"You've lived long enough. Leave her body and end it, Cassandra."

She starts to cry, "I don't want to die!"

"No one does."

"Help me!" she whimpers.

He shakes his head softly, "I can't."

Suddenly, Chip appears, making Cassandra-Donna gasp.

"Mistress!" he cries in delight, running up to her.

"Ah! You're alive!" she puts on a fake cheeriness.

"I kept myself safe. For you, mistress," he smiles sincerely.

Then, she gets an idea, "A body...and not just that, a volunteer..."

"Don't you dare," The Doctor warns, "He's got a life of his own."

Chip shakes his head, "But I worship the mistress!" Cassandra-Donna winks at Chip, "I welcome her."

The Doctor shakes his head, "You can't, Cassandra, you - "

Cassandra ignores him and leaps into Chip's body. Donna falls forward with a gasp, but The Doctor lunges to catch her, "Oh!" she wraps her arms around his shoulders, her head resting lightly against his shoulder, "You alright?" Donna quickly pulls back, mumbling something about 'oi, hands' before losing her balance again, he reaches out for her again, grasping her by the waist, "Whoa! Okay?"

She groans, resting her head on his shoulder, hands to her sides, "Yeah..." she finally get her bearings and gathers herself together...and finds herself staring right at The Doctor.

His whole face just _lights up_ when she looks at him, "Hullo."

She raises a hand to wave at him, "Hullo."

The Doctor's smile only widens, "Hullo!" she flinches and his grip on her tightens, "Oh, sorry, just...welcome back."

"Mmm, it's bloody great to be back and that Cassandra - " at the mention of her name they turn to Chip...now, Cassandra-Chip.

"Oh, sweet Lord," he complains, "I'm a walking doodle."

Donna pulls back from The Doctor, although his arm just stays on her back, just in case, "You can't stay in there. I'm sorry, Cassandra, but that's not fair. I can take you to the city. They can build you a skin tank and you can stand trial for what you've done."

Cassandra-Chip frowns, "Well, that would be rather dramatic. Possibly my finest hour. And certainly my finest hat," The Doctor and Donna glance at each other, "...But I'm afraid we don't have time. Poor little Chip is only a half-life. And he's been through so much. His heart is racing so. He's failing. I don't think he's going to last..." his legs end up giving away. Donna and The Doctor both reach forward to support him.

"You alright?" Donna asks, her voice soft. She feels terrible.

"I'm fine," he pauses. The Doctor and Donna stare at him in concern, "I'm dying. But that's fine."

"The Doctor can take you to the city, yeah?" Donna suggests, trying to smile.

"No, he won't," Cassandra-Chip shakes his head, "Everything's new on this planet. There's no place for Chip and me anymore," his gaze falls onto The Doctor, "You're right, Doctor. It's time to die," The Doctor glances at Donna, who looks rather upset. Cassandra-Chip swallows, "And that's good."

The Doctor and Donna help him to his feet. Donna leans over, whispering something into The Doctor's ear.

"Oh, Donna Noble, you're brilliant," he whispers back, beaming.

She shakes her head, smiling over at Cassandra-Chip, "Come on."

The Doctor and Donna lead him away, "There's one last thing I can do."

.~.

* * *

.~.

At a certain party, The TARDIS engines sound. The Doctor steps out of the doors, followed by Cassandra-Chip and Donna. Donna has The Doctor's jacket draped over her shoulders, she looks over at Cassandra-Chip, feeling her stomach flutter at the look on his face. Pure happiness.

The Doctor has landed at the place on the tape Cassandra was playing, at the party. Cassandra, as a proper human being is laughing and talking, the life and soul of the party.

Cassandra-Chip turns to The Doctor and Donna, turns burning his vision, "Thank you."

"Just go," The Doctor's lips twitch upwards, "And don't look back."

Donna gives him a thumbs up, "Good luck."

Cassandra-Chip walks into the midst of the party, up to human Cassandra. He's smiling soft, watching her, "...And if you'd actually seen them, they were shocked! But don't quote me on that. Oh, naughty. a bientôt!" she walks away from the group of people she was talking to.

Cassandra-Chip approaches her, "Excuse me...Lady Cassandra..."

"I'm sorry," she shakes her head, "I don't need anything right now, I'm fine, thank you," she goes to turn away.

Cassandra-Chip shakes his head, "No...I just wanted to say...you look beautiful."

Cassandra looks at him, her facial features softening, "Well. That's very kind, you strange little thing. Thank you very much."

"I mean it," he steps forward and looks straight into her eyes, "You look...so beautiful," he says sincerely.

Cassandra stares at him, so touched, "Thank you," and then...Cassandra-Chip's eyelids flutter closed and he keels over, his heart finally giving out. Cassandra kneels next to him, alarmed, "Oh my Lord. Are you alright? What is it? What's wrong?" she looks over her shoulder, "Someone get some help!" she fathers him into her arms. "Call a medic or something, quickly!"

A woman walks up to her, "Who is he?"

"I don't know," Cassandra says frantically, "He just came up to me. I don't even know his name. He just collapsed. I think he's dying. Someone do something!" she looks back at the poor man, "I've got you, sweetheart...it's alright..." Donna is close to tears, and The Doctor is watching solemnly. Cassandra rocks him gently, "There you are...there you are, I've got you...it'll be alright. There, there, you poor little thing..."

Donna doesn't think she can watch anymore, the tragedy of it all. She feels The Doctor take her hand, slowly leading her back into the TARDIS. The Doctor pauses for one last look before leading her through the doors.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Donna's playing with the sleeves on The Doctor's jacket, not meeting his eyes as he fiddles with the consoles. He looks back up at her, her hair covering her face, and she looked tired, so, so tired. She deserves a good rest. First trip he took her as this new him and she was being thrown around and someone else was overpowering her own body.

"Donna?" his voice is hoarse for a moment, so he clears his throat.

"Hmm?" she looks up at him, wiping away a tear that had fallen.

He moves around the console, "Are you gonna be alright?"

"About the moment we just witnessed?" she asks.

He shrugs, "If you wanna start there."

Donna repeats his movements, "Yeah, it was just...it was so lovely. And heartbreaking."

The Doctor reaches over to grasp her hand, "All thanks to you. I wouldn't have known to take Cassandra there."

She smiles back, "Yeah," she looks down at his hand, it's good that this wasn't as awkward as she thought it was going to be. Cassandra making her kiss him and all...and Cassandra telling her that he fancies her...but she won't push it. She doesn't want to cross that line. So instead she widens her smile, "What you did today, saving _all those people_...God, I forget how amazing you can be."

He smiles back, "Why, thank you."

Donna laughs, "No, seriously. That was...God, I don't even know how to explain it," instead of explaining, she envelopes him into an embrace, wrapping her arms around his back, he hugs her back just so quickly it shocks her for a moment, but forgets it when his chin rests on her shoulder. Very touchy, he is. They pull back, looking around the TARDIS, "You're brilliant. I envy that about you. Being able to think that quickly and save them all," she nudges him with her elbow, "Nice going, Spaceman."

"It's good to hear _you_ say that," he sighs in relief.

She pulls back slightly, "What d'you mean?"

"Cassandra called me Spaceman," he explains, "Didn't seem right."

"But it was me."

"Well," he plays with his left ear. He doesn't tell her that when she calls him that, his stomach does this little flutter and his hearts quicken up, just a minor thing anyways, "She sounded...strange. Wasn't you."

Donna rolls her eyes, "Mhmm. Well, that was quite a day."

"You kissed me."

Oh, he probably shouldn't have brought that up.

She stares at him blankly for a moment, "Nope."

He blinks at her response, "Wait, what? Yes, yes, yes you did."

"Ohhh, you wish, don't you?" she leans against the console, smirking, "It wasn't me. _Technically_ it was Cassandra."

His ears turn pink, "Oh, right, right, yes. Of course...but, I mean, I can see why."

Donna scoffs, "Oh, what _ever_."

"What?" he pulls a face, "I'm very good-looking, this new body! I'm friendly! I'm handsome! And brilliant!" he smirks, regretting and not regretting the next sentence that falls from his lips, "You're not a half bad kisser, Donna Noble."

She gapes at him, her eyes almost bulging out, " _Wot_?" Again with the 'Wot?'s! Every time he compliments her!

"You were!"

"Wot do you mean 'not half bad'?!"

Ohh, now she cares, "Well, technically, she wasn't you. It was Cassandra. And I'm not a huge fan of the 'grinding your body against mine and shoving your tongue down my throat'."

Her cheeks turn pink, "That's not - ! I didn't even - ! Oh my _God_!" she turns away, storming off, trying to hide the blush from her cheeks, "We are _never_ talkin' about this again! Never ever!" she turns to a corner, huffing, "Goodnight! I will see you tomorrow, _without ever bringing this up_!"

And she slams the door shut and The Doctor giggles to himself, wondering where he should take her next.

* * *

 **author's note/disclaimer:** The Doctor _loves_ physical contact with Donna, mmm.

Ugh, why is it whenever I'm excited for DoctorDonna moments, there barely is any?! Agghhh.

So yes, I did have a great time writing this. Cassandra is my fav. I feel like she would absolutely adore Donna's body (because Catherine Tate has fantastic breasts and curves) and not even Cassandra can resist it. And neither can The Doctor. Mhmmmmm.

I do adore Novice Hame, though, she's a lil sweetheart.

The ending with Cassandra-Chip and Cassandra always makes me tear up, it's just so lovely.

bUT DAVID TENNANT PLAYING CASSANDRA, LIKE CAN WE PLEASE JUST TALK ABOUT THIS. THAT IS MY FAVORITE PART OF THE EPISODE, I LOVE HIM AS CASSANDRA I COULD NOT STOP GIGGLING.

Hopefully in the next chapter there will be more DoctorDonna moments, I think there was some good ones, like going through The Doctor's thoughts. I love imagining Donna just plain out kissing him, it's such a lovely image in my head.

So, I will see you all soon! The next chapter may take a little longer to update, but do not worry!

Let me know what you think of this so far, I'm so excited for this story!

Next up is _Tooth and Claw_!


	3. Tooth and Claw

**author's note/disclaimer:** And here is chapter three of my story!

Sorry for the long wait!

Enjoy and please review to me know what you think!

* * *

 **Sure as the Stars  
** **Chapter Three  
Tooth and Claw**

* * *

In a field somewhere in Scotland, a horse and carriage make its way across a windy field, as bells start ringing.

At the Torchwood house, a procession of Monks walk into the yard of an old house, all of them dressed in dark cloaks. A man, the Steward, notices a man walking towards him, taking his hood off. The man who took off his hood is bald and stern looking, "Come now, Father," the Steward shakes his head, he's wearing a brown sort of cap and matching drag clothing, "You should know better. You're not welcome here, and especially not today. I've got no time to start old arguments."

Father Angelo ins't fazed, "We want only one thing."

"And what would that be?"

Father Angelo looks up, "This house."

The Steward follows his gaze, "Ya want the house?" he smiles in disbelief.

"We will take the house."

The Steward looks back at the man, "Would you like my wife while you're at it?" he asks sarcastically.

"If you won't stand aside, then we'll take it by force."

"By what power?" The Steward challenges, "The Hand of God?"

"No. The Fist of Man," he suddenly thrusts a staff into the Steward's stomach, knocking him to the ground. He hits him again with his staff and then kicks him across the yard. He stands tall, in a position, and signals for his Monks to drop their cloaks. They swing their own staffs. The Monks are in bright orange karate uniforms. The household staff members try to fight them off with their own weapons, three of the Monks throw their staffs in the air and jump into the air, over the staff members and land on the ground perfectly, and a seconds later, their staffs drop and they catch them. They begin to fight off and hit the men with incredible fighting skills. When they're done with the men in the yard, they rush into the house and capture the maids in the kitchen, who scream for help and in fear.

Some of the Monks run upstairs and into a bedroom, and as soon as they enter the room, one of them swings the staff into the man in the room, - Sir Robert - knocking him out.

.~.

In the Torchwood cellar, the Steward comes around, looking around at his surrounding. He seems to be in a barn, chained up with all the household staff and the Lady of the House, a young woman in a beautiful black dress and her dark brown hair is done into a low bun.

The door wrenches open by one of the Monks.

"In the name of Heaven..." the Steward mumbles in shock. He turns and spots the Lady of the House, Lady Isobel, "My Lady?" he asks, surprised. Several of the Monks drag a cage covered in a tarpaulin. They leave it at the opposite end of the barn, "What's in there? What is it, what's under the canvas?" he demands, turning to the Monks.

Father Angelo takes a few steps towards the cage, staring as if enchanted, not answering the Steward.

"Father, answer me," the Steward demands urgently, "What's in there?"

Father Angelo turns to him, a haunted look in his eye, "May God forgive me."

He and the Monks turn quickly and rip the tarpaulin off the cage.

The prisoner's screams echo off the walls.

.~.

* * *

.~.

The Doctor hums around the console of the TARDIS, holding a CD, whilst Donna finishes zipping her purse up and shoves it out of the way. She stands up, a little bit in concern, when The Doctor stops humming.

When she looks over at him, she finds his eyes transfixed on her outfit. It's a short sleeved, light blue blouse and a rather short mini skirt, but not so short where anyone could see her bum, she doesn't do that sort of thing.

She smirks in spite of herself, "Like what you see?"

The Doctor's ears turn bright red, "Hmm? Oh, it's just, we're heading off to the late 1970s. You'd be better off in a bin bag."

"Wot did you just say to me?!" Donna roars, hands already curling into fists.

"Hold on, listen to this," he just _ignores_ her! This bloody twat! She watches with an annoyed posture and matching expression as he bungs the CD he was holding in the player and 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick' by Ian Dury and the Blockheads blares out. He bounces around the console, "Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Number One in 1979."

Donna snorts, "You're a punk!"

"It's good to be a lunatic!" The Doctor sings along, ignoring her comment, playing with the console's buttons.

Donna rolls her eyes, "Yeah, a lunatic. That's what you are," he stills hums along, "A big old Punk with a bit of Rockabillly thrown in."

"Would you like to see him?" The Doctor looks up at Donna, eyes sparkling.

She gasps, "How'd you mean? In concert?"

The Doctor grins, "Yeah!" he's doing that thing where he voice gets all high (and slightly cute if Donna says so herself) and excited, "What else is a TARDIS for?" he does a funky little dance around the console, watching with wide, bright, sparkling brown eyes as Donna walks around the console, "I can take you to the Battle of Trafalgar, the first anti-gravity Olympics, Caesar crossing the Rubicon, or...Ian Dury at the Top Rank, Sheffield, England, Earth, 21st November, 1979. What do you think?"

Donna grins right back, "Sheffield it is!"

Finally! Some place she's going to enjoy right at the start! A concert! Now, he's thinkin'!

"Hold on tight!" he pulls a lever and they both lurch forward as the TARDIS shudders and spins through the Vortex. The Doctor whacks the console with a hammer to the beat of the music, shouting at the top of his lungs.

Donna shrieks, "Stop!"

The movement stops and they both fall on the floor, The Doctor laughs his head off. Donna tries to not show her amusement, but it's sort of impossible. He landed them on the bloody floor, though! Argh!

The Doctor bounces up with a leap in his step, "1979. Hell of a year!" he pulls Donna to her feet and they bound towards the doors. Donna brushes off her skirt and blouse, thankfully it's not ruined. She waits for The Doctor, who grabs his jacket, "China invades Vietnam, The Muppet Movie! _Love_ that film - "

"You watched The Muppet Movie?" Donna repeats back, surprised.

"Of course!"

"I didn't even know you watch films!" she catches the look he gives her, "I thought you just run around time and space, not sit down and relax! I'm gonna force you to have a movie night with me sometime, Spaceman!"

The Doctor gives out a delighted cry, which is high and happy and contagious, "Brilliant! Sounds like a plan! Ooh, do you know what else happened in 1979? Margaret Thatcher," he makes a face at the mention of her name, "uhuh. Skylab falls to Earth, with a little help from me, nearly took off my thumb," they swing open the doors of the TARDIS, "I like my thumb. I need my thumb. I'm very attached to..." he falters when he notices that they're surrounded by Scottish soldiers on all sides, guns raised. He puts his hands up and Donna does the same, "...my thumb," the guns click ominously. The Doctor's eyes slightly widen. Oh, whoops, "1879," he mumbles in realization, "Same difference."

"You will explain your presence," the captain, Captain Reynolds orders, "And the nakedness of this woman," Donna looks down at herself at the comment, feeling the urge to smack him in the face with his own gun. _Nakedness_! It's just a skirt and a blouse! She can't even wear normal clothes without getting into trouble.

"Are we in Scotland?" The Doctor asks, putting on a _perfect_ Scottish accent. Donna gapes a little, although wonders why she's so surprised.

Captain Reynolds glares, "How can you be ignorant of that?"

"Oh, I'm - I'm dazed and confused. I've been chasing this..." he gestures with his head to Donna, "...this wee naked woman over hill and over dale. In't that right, ya..." he looks her up and down, "...timorous beastie?"

Timorous beastie?

"Ooch, aye! I've been oot and aboot," Donna tries with a terrible, _terrible_ Scottish accent.

The Doctor shakes his head, "No, don't do that," he mutters.

Oi! She's not that bad, is she? "Hoots mon!" she growls through gritted teeth.

"No, really don't. Really."

Ooh, she's gonna slap him for telling her to stop! She can do whatever she pleases! _Thank you very much_ , Doctor.

"Will you identify yourself, sir?" Captain Reynolds presses.

"I'm Doctor James McCrimmon," The Doctor faces the men again, "From the...Township of Balamory. Eh...I have my credentials, if I may..." he gestures towards his pocket and the Captain nods. They both lower their hands whilst he fumbles in his pocket and produces the psychic paper. He shows it to them, "As you can see, a Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. I trained under Doctor Bell himself."

"Let them approach," a female voice from a shiny black carriage says.

"I don't think that's wise, ma'am," Captain Reynolds tells her, still suspicious.

"Let them approach," she repeats.

The Doctor gestures towards the carriage, a sort of cocky-wise ass look on his face, if Donna thinks so herself.

The Captain has no choice but to let them approach, "You will approach the carriage. And show all due deference."

The Doctor does a sort of 'aye aye, Captain' signal, automatically holding onto Donna's hand as they walk towards the carriage.

One of the footmen opens the door to reveal an old woman. She has soft brown eyes and silver hair, dark black earrings, a linen cap (a very cute one that Donna wants) with a thin white veil and a matching black dress. The woman smiles at them and Donna almost lets out a squeal of delight when it finally clicks to who this woman is.

The Doctor breaks into a smile, "Donna, might I introduce her - "

Donna's eyes widen, cutting him off with a gasp, "Majesty Queen Victoria!"

"Empress of India and Defender of the Faith," The Doctor nods.

Oh, oh, oh! This is better than a concert! Bleedin' Queen Victoria! Smiling and meeting them! Oh, this is fantastic! And she's - Donna frowns the slightest - she's in a blouse and sort bloody skirt. Damn it. If only The Doctor would have gotten the right coordinates, she would look fabulous right now in an 1879 dress!

Donna curtsies, her cheeks flushing, "Donna Noble, ma'am. And my apologies for being so...naked," she lets out a nervous laugh.

"I've had five daughters," Queen Victoria assures her, "It's nothing to me," she looks over at The Doctor, "But you, Doctor, show me these credentials," The Doctor obligingly hands the psychic paper over, and the Queen studies it for a moment, "Why didn't you say so immediately? It states clearly here that you have been appointed by the Lord Provost as my protector."

"Does it?" The Doctor mumbles, Donna kicks his foot, "Yes, it does! Good! Good! Um, then let me ask, why is Your Majesty travelling by road when there's a train all the way to Aberdeen?" he falls into that Scottish accent again.

"A tree on the line."

The Doctor frowns, "An accident?"

"I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Everything around me tends to be planned," the Queen swiftly states.

"An assassination attempt?"

Donna frowns, "Seriously? There's people out to kill ya?"

"I'm quite used to staring down the barrel of a gun," the Queen nods over to her as Donna tries to look decent, fixing the sleeves of her blouse and trying to move the hair that's covering her face, she didn't straighten it this time, so her hair is in soft little waves.

"Sir Robert MacLeish lives but ten miles hence. We'll send word ahead, he'll shelter us for tonight, then we can reach Balmoral tomorrow," Captain Reynolds calls from his horse to them.

"This Doctor and his..." she smiles softly in Donna's direction, "...timorous beastie will come with us."

Captain Reynolds nods, "Yes, ma'am. We'd better get moving, it's almost nightfall."

"Indeed," she looks back at The Doctor and Donna, "And there are stories of _wolves_ in these parts. Fanciful tales intended to scare the children. But good for the blood, I think. Drive on!"

Donna grins at The Doctor and they go on their way. The two walk behind the carriage, and Donna looks down when he loops his arm through his. She wacks his arm and he gapes at her, "Touchy," she unhooks her arm, rolling her eyes at his downfallen face, "We can't let them think you're into me. The 'naked woman', you dunce."

The Doctor pouts with narrowed eyes, watching forward. What a big baby.

"It's funny though," Donna adds on, "'cos you say 'assassination' and you just think of Kennedy and stuff. Not her."

The Doctor pauses to think for a moment, "1879...she's had...ooh...six attempts on her life?"

"You know what else," Donna starts again, "I thought you said 1979," she shoots him a glare.

"Eh, 1979, 1879, same difference."

Donna smirks, "I'd be a better driver than you."

"No, you wouldn't."

Oh, he wants to go there? "You know what, after this, teach me to drive the TARDIS. Then we'll see."

The Doctor smiles, looking forward again at the carriage, "I'll tell you something else, we just met Queen Victoria!"

Donna lets out a little squeal, her annoyance completely gone. And The Doctor finds it so immensely cute, "I know!"

"What a laugh!"

"She was just sittin' there!"

"Like a stamp!"

"I bet you five quid I can make her say," she puts on an affected upper-classed accent, "'I am not amused'."

"Well, if I gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of my privileges of traveler in time."

"Ten quid?"

"You're on, Earthgirl."

.~.

* * *

.~.

The carriage pulls into Torchwood Estate. Sir Robert watches the carriage approach from an upstairs window, feeling and looking extremely uneasy. He hears the thunder rumble in the back and hears the horses neigh. And he even spots a man in a very large coat and a bright flash of red hair.

"I can't do this. It's treason," he shakes.

Father Angelo appears behind him, "Then your wife will suffer the consequences. And believe me, Sir Robert, she will be _devoured_."

Sir Robert closes his eyes, helpless.

.~.

One of the footmen opens the door of the carriage and helps Queen Victoria down. Sir Robert emerges from a doorway and approaches her, Father Angelo behind him. "Your Majesty," Sir Robert bows.

"Sir Robert. My apologies for the emergency," she nods, "And how is Lady Isobel?"

Sir Robert purses his lips for a moment, "She's...indisposed, I'm afraid. She's gone to Edinburgh for the season. And she's taken the cook with her, the kitchens are barely stocked...I wouldn't blame Your Majesty if you wanted to ride on."

The Doctor cocks his head to one side, watching him. Sir Robert would rather the Queen stayed away. Now, why's that?

"Oh, not at all!" the Queen says cheerfully, "I've had quite enough carriage exercise. And this is...charming. If rustic. It's my first visit to this house. My late husband spoke of it often. The Torchwood Estate. Now, shall we go inside?" Sir Robert is evidently reluctant, but the Queen doesn't notice, "And please excuse the naked woman," she vaguely gestures towards Donna's clothes.

"Sorry," the ginger mumbles.

"She's a feral woman," The Doctor adds on, putting on his Scottish accent, playing along just to annoy Donna, "I bought her for sixpence in old London Town. It was her or the Elephant Man, so - " he gets cut off by an intense pain in his arm. Donna had just slapped him.

"Thinks he's funny but I'm _sooo_ not amused," she looks pointedly at Queen Victoria, "What'd you think, ma'am?"

Queen Victoria shakes her head, "It hardly matters," The Doctor snickers at Donna's failure, "Shall we proceed?"

Sir Robert nods and they begin to make their way into the house. The Doctor glances down as Donna leans over to the side, her hand in a fist, "So close."

"Makerson and Ramsey, you will escort the Property. Hurry up," Captain Reynolds orders.

"Yes, sir," a soldier nods.

So does another, "Yes, sir."

The Doctor sweeps his eyes around, noticing Donna eyeing the bald man who had stepped out with Sir Robert. They both look over at one of the soldiers takes a small wooden box from the carriage and carries it carefully to the house, "What's in there, then?" The Doctor asks, interested.

"Property of the Crown. You will dismiss any further thoughts, sir," Captain Reynolds orders. The Doctor pulls a face to Donna, who snickers at him this time. Captain Reynolds continues, "The rest of you go to the rear of the house. Assume your designated positions."

A soldier nods, "You heard the orders. Positions, sir."

The Doctor nods towards the house and he and Donna follow the others.

They don't see the prisoners, who watch the shadows go past the door, fear in their eyes. They all look back towards the cage, where a man in a dark cloak raises a finger to his lips and makes a shushing sound that echoes back.

Inside the Torchwood house, one of the soldiers places the wooden box carefully inside a safe.

Captain Reynolds faces him, "Guard it with your life."

.~.

In the Torchwood house observatory, Sir Robert enters the observatory, followed by the Queen, Donna, The Doctor, Father Angelo and two of the Monks, who are disguised as household staff. There is what looks like an enormous telescope in the middle of the room.

"And _this_ , I take it, is the famous Endeavour," Queen Victoria smiles brightly.

Sir Robert nods, "All my father's work. Built by hand in his final years. Became something of an obsession..." he smiles slightly at the memories, "...he spent his money on this rather than caring for the house or himself."

"I wish I'd met him, I like him," The Doctor smiles, putting on his Scottish accent again, "That thing's beautiful. Can I um...?" he gestures towards it.

"Help yourself."

The Doctor and Donna move forward to examine the telescope and the wheel next to it, tracing their hands over it and peering at all the little details, "What did he model it on?" The Doctor wonders.

"I know nothing about it," Sir Robert admits, "To be honest, most of us thought him a little...shall we say, eccentric," The Doctor gives a dopey laugh, "I wish now I'd spent more time with him," his voice becomes softer, more sadder, "And listened to his stories," he glances at the Queen.

The Doctor peers through the telescope, "It's a bit rubbish," Donna freezes immediately, not believing his was commenting on this lovely piece, "How many prisms has it got? Way too many," he stands up as Donna wanders over to him, "The magnification's gone right over the top, that's stupid kind of a -" he turns to Donna, "Am I being rude again?"

"Yep."

"But it's pretty!" he quickly comments, turning back to Sir Robert and the Queen, "It's very..." he nods, rubbing the telescope, "...pretty," Donna pats him fondly on the arm.

"And the imagination of it should be applauded," the Queen adds on.

The Doctor glances at Donna, "Mm!" she nods. He knows she's going to try to get the Queen to say it, "...Thought you might disapprove, Your Majesty. Stargazing. Isn't that a bit fanciful?" Queen Victoria stares at her, "You could easily...not be amused, or something? No?"

"This device surveys the infinite work of God."

The Doctor shakes his head at Donna with a vague smile on his face, rubbing one hand over his eye. She rests her forehead on his shoulder, and his hearts quicken at the action, "Damn it," she whispers.

"What could be finer?" the Queen continues and Donna lifts her head up, "Sir Robert's father was an example to us all. A polymath. Steeped in astronomy and sciences, yet equally well versed in folklore and fairytales."

"Stars and magic. I like him more and more," he gives another kind smile to Sir Robert. He wanders around the telescope to examine it some more.

"Oh, my late husband enjoyed his company," Queen Victoria smiles. She turns away from the invention to Donna, taking some steps towards her, "Prince Albert himself was acquainted with many rural superstitions, coming as he did from Saxe Coburg."

"That's Bavaria," The Doctor leans over Donna, whispering in her ear.

Queen Victoria turns to Sir Robert, "When Albert was told about your local wolf, he was transported."

The Doctor pips up, ooh, a story? "So, what's this wolf, then?"

Sir Robert pales the slightest, "It's just a story."

"Then tell it," The Doctor challenges.

Sir Robert shifts, looking out in the corner of his eye at Father Angelo very uncomfortably. He begins, "It's said that - "

"Excuse me, sir," Father Angelo cuts in, putting on a fake smile, "Perhaps her Majesty's party could repair to their rooms. It's almost dark."

He glances at him again before turning back to the group, "Of course. Yes, of course."

"And then supper!" Queen Victoria smiles as The Doctor takes a closer step towards Donna, her back touching his chest. She doesn't pull away though, and he's glad, "And...could we find some clothes for Miss Noble? I'm tired of nakedness."

Donna pulls a 'I'm-not-even-bovvered-anymore' but she _does_ press on, "It's not _amusing_ , is it?"

Queen Victoria glances around at her and decides to ignore this comment and turns back to Sir Robert. The Doctor mutters something to Donna who knocks him in the chest, smiling as if she thinks she was so close. He's not going to ruin this for her, he hasn't seen her this smiley in a while.

"Sir Robert, your wife must've left some clothes. See to it. We shall dine at seven. And talk some more of this wolf. After all...there is a full moon tonight," Queen Victoria breaks into a smile.

Sir Robert nods, "So there is, ma'am," he bows, and the Queen leaves the room followed by the others.

.~.

Donna watches the sun set from her room. Her room is gorgeous! It's a glassy wood and there's a wardrobe and it's a dark room. The bed is so lovely and big and dark red. She just adores it! She goes over to one of the wardrobes and opens the door, finding a brown dress and holds up to herself in the mirror.

She almost immediately puts it back, and finds a frilly blouse, holds it up to herself and laughs. She'd look good in white, but she really doesn't feel like wearing a blouse. Then, she grabs a blue dress, repeats her action by holding it up to herself and twirls around a bit.

"Too short," she mumbles, putting it back.

.~.

In the kitchens, The Monks are carefully brewing some sort of drink with mistletoe, cutting off the leaves and mixing the ingredients carefully. They poor the liquid into some mugs, as Father Angelo watches with a cold stare.

When they're done, Father Angelo and some of the other Monks hand the mugs to the soldiers standing on guard everywhere. They take their drinks kindly, grateful to have a beverage while they guard their places.

After all the guards have been given their drinks, they sip the brew inside the mugs.

.~

Donna frowns, returning another outfit. They were all quite nice, but none of them really suited her. Maybe something in the next wardrobe will help her. As she crosses the room to the other wardrobe she thinks that she TARDIS has better outfits.

She opens another wardrobe door and almost has a heart attack as she screams, jumping back. She covers her hand over her mouth, glancing down at a young maid who is crouched inside, breathing heavily with fear.

.~.

One by one, the guards keel over, unconscious, as soon as they fall, the Monks hurry over and take their guns.

.~.

Donna quickly takes the scared young woman to her bed and they both sit on it, "...They came through the house," the maid explains, her voice shaking in fear, "the incitements, they took the Steward and the Master. And my Lady."

Donna squeezes her hand comfortingly, "Listen, I've got a friend, he's called The Doctor, he'll know what to do. You've gotta come with me."

The maid shakes her head, eyes widening, "Oh, but I can't, miss."

Donna frowns, nodding softly, so she starts small, "What's your name?"

"Flora."

"Flora, we'll be safe," Donna assures her, her voice is soft and quiet, "There's more people arrived downstairs, soldiers and everything, and they can help us. Promise. Come on. Okay? Come on," Donna lifts her up off the bed, one hand on her arm and the other on her waist. She peers cautiously out of the door and seeing that the coast is clear, takes Flora's hand and leads her down the corridor.

Just around the corner lies one of the unconscious guards.

"Oh, miss! I did warn you!" Flora cries out.

Donna quickly kneels over one of the guards, her fingers shaking and her heart rate speeding up. She goes to feel a pulse, "He's not dead...I don't think - he must be drugged or something," Donna mumbles to herself.

Suddenly, Flora is grabbed from behind by Father Angelo and his hand stifles a scream. She gets dragged away, as that happens Donna immediately gets up but before she can react, she's grabbed and dragged away as well. She kicks and tries to scream and even bites but it does nothing. Through thrashing and blurry eyes she sees one of the 'staff' drag the unconscious guard away. Then she sees that mean looking bald man step over his body and go through a door into the dining room. Of course he's behind this! And he's heading towards where The Doctor is!

.~.

* * *

.~.

Queen Victoria, The Doctor, Sir Robert, and Captain Reynolds are seated at the dining table of the dining room. The Doctor keeps looking at the door, waiting for Donna to enter the room, and catch his attention immediately like she always does when she puts on a fancy dress for the past. She always steals the show, all ginger hair and sparkling blue eyes and the _gowns_ she always wears! She has a great sense of style!

He frowns about when she doesn't come it. Well, this _is_ Donna. So she might take a while, but it's already supper. Her food is going to get cold.

He looks over to Father Angelo when he starts walking over to him, "Your companion begs an apology, Doctor," he gives a polite nod, "Her clothing has somewhat delayed her."

The Doctor hides his disappointment, "Oh, that's alright. Save her a wee bit of ham."

"The feral woman could probably eat it raw," Queen Victoria remarks.

The Doctor immediately snaps towards her, not finding it _that_ funny. Donna certainly wouldn't either.

He frowns as Captain Reynolds laughs loudly, "Very wise, ma'am! Very witty!"

The Queen looks at him appraisingly, "Slightly witty, perhaps. I know you rarely get the chance to dine with me, Captain, but don't get too excited...I shall contain my wit in case I do you further injury."

"Yes, ma'am," he says meekly, "Sorry, ma'am."

The Doctor breaks into a grin, "Besides, we're all waiting on Sir Robert! Come, Sir! You promised us a tale of _nightmares_."

"Indeed," Queen Victoria smiles, "Since my husband's death, I find myself with more of a taste for supernatural fiction."

The Doctor's smile is gone when he faces the Queen. He recognizes the look and feeling of someone who was gone. He knows very much, "You must miss him."

She looks at him, her face slightly fallen and brown eyes filled with sadness, "Very much," she seems to be lost in her thoughts, "Oh, completely. And that's the charm of a ghost story, isn't it?" her lips twitch upwards a bit, "Not the scares and chills, that's just for children, but the...hope of some contact with the great beyond," The Doctor looks at intensely, listening to all she has to say, "We all want some message from that place...it's the Creator's greatest mystery that we are allowed no such consolation. The dead stay silent. And we must wait," she shrugs, but The Doctor remains solemn, looking down, remembering. Remembering his people, "Come!" she shakes herself out of her sadness, "Begin your tale, Sir Robert. There's a chill in the air. The wind is howling through the eaves. Tell us of monsters!"

.~.

* * *

.~.

Oh God, _why_ is she in another cellar?

Donna grits her teeth, stopping herself from yelling and screaming in annoyance. Everyone, including her, is now watching the figure in the cage feet away from them, he's sitting quietly, not saying a word and she can't even hear his breathing.

"Don't make a sound," Lady Isobel whispers to her, shaking slightly. Donna doesn't look away from the man, "They said if we scream or shout, then he will slaughter us."

"But...he's in a cage. He's not a prisoner? He's the same as us."

"He's nothing like us," she says, fear dripping from her voice, "That creature is not mortal."

Donna watches the man raise his head very slowly and open his eyes...which are completely black. Lady Isobel and her household staff whimper, and Donna stares, slightly terrified.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Sir Robert shifts, taking a small breath, "The story goes back three hundred years. Every full moon, the howling rings through the valley. The next morning, livestock is found ripped apart and...devoured."

"Tales like this just disguise the work of thieves," Captain Reynolds cuts in, not believing in these tales, "Steal a sheep and blame a wolf, simple as that," The Doctor fights off his smile when he sees Queen Victoria looks mildly irritated at his comment.

Sir Robert keeps a stern face, "But sometimes a child goes missing. Once in a generation. A boy will vanish from his homestead."

.~.

* * *

.~.

 _Oh, it's now or never. Might as well try, right?_ Donna thinks to herself, without taking a hesitated breath or a moment to think about what she's going to do, she starts to stand up, thick shackles clapped on her wrists. Her hair feels messy and she's sweating a little, because it's bloody hot in here. She takes a few step forwards, her legs almost gave out while she sat with the other prisoners. She starts to approach the man in the cage.

"Please, don't," Lady Isobel pleads.

Donna, of course, ignores her. She edges slowly towards the man, chains rattling slightly. When she's as close as the chains allow her, she kneels, "Who are you?"

"Don't enrage him," The Steward adds on.

Donna ignores him too, "Where are you from?" when he doesn't answer her, she continues, "You're not from Earth, obviously. With your black eyes. What planet are you from?"

"Ohhh..." the man hisses out and his voice sends silent shivers down Donna's spine, "...intelligence..."

"Where were you born?"

"This body..." the man continues, his voice still slick and breathy, "ten miles away...a weakling, heartsick boy. Stolen away at night by the brethren from my cultivation. I carved out his soul and sat in his _heart_."

.~.

The Doctor asks, "Are there descriptions of the creature?"

Sir Robert nods, "Oh yes, Doctor. Drawings and woodcarvings. And it's not merely a wolf. It's more than that. This is a man who becomes an animal."

The Doctor leans forward, intrigued, "A werewolf?"

.~.

Donna nods, keeping calm, although she felt her stomach start to twist, "Alright, so the body's human...but what about you? The thing inside?"

"So far from home..."

"If you wanna get back home, we can help."

The man tilts his head, confused, "Why would I leave this place? A world of industry, of workforce and warfare. I could turn it to such purpose."

Donna glares into his black, unearthly eyes, she can't bring herself to look away, "How would you do that?"

"I would migrate to the Holy Monarch."

Oh, don't let it be what she thinks, "You mean Queen Victoria?"

"With one bite, I would pass into her blood. And then it begins. The Empire of the Wolf! So many questions..." he suddenly lunges forward, making the prisoners, including Donna jump and gasp, "Look! Inside your eyes! You've seen it too!"

She knows what he means. But she asks anyways, "Seen what?"

"The Wolf! You've met someone who has the wolf about them!"

Donna stares at him, breathing heavily. Memories of Rose Tyler, blonde hair and brown eyes and golden eyes. She remembers what Rose had whispered to her with pink, glossy lips, _"Bad Wolf..."_

"I don't know what you mean," she lies through her teeth.

"They had burnt like the sun, but all I require is the moon!" his voice is shaking and strong and shivering.

As if on cue, Donna looks up at an open hole, where the moon rises over the estate, bright and glowing and full.

.~.

* * *

.~.

"...My father didn't treat it as a story," Sir Robert states, "He said it was fact. He even claimed to have communed with the beast, to have learned its purpose," No one notices that Father Angelo's attention is caught by something outside the window, "I should've listened," he continues, regretfully. He glances around at Father Angelo, "His work was hindered..." he begins to speak quickly, "...he made enemies. There's a Monastery in the Glen of Saint Catherine. The Brethren opposed my father's investigations."

"Perhaps they thought his work ungodly," Queen Victoria guesses.

Sir Robert looks over at her, "That's what I thought. But now I wonder...what if they had a different reason for wanting the story kept quiet?"

It comes to the Doctor's attention that Father Angelo is stood by the window, chanting in Latin under his breath, the same phrase, over and over again, 'lupus deus est' Now, why's he saying that? He keeps his gaze on Father Angelo, still listening as Sir Robert continues.

"...What if they turned from God and worshipped the wolf?"

The Doctor keeps his eyes on Father Angelo, everything clicking, the penny dropping, "And what if they were with us right now?"

.~.

* * *

.~.

The doors of the cellar are thrown open and the moonlight floods in over the man's cage.

Donna watches with wide blue eyes as he presses his face against the bars with a blissful smile, as if he feeds off of the moonlight, "Moonlight..." he sighs blissfully. The prisoners shift around uncomfortably, not knowing what to make of this. The man sheds his cloak. A wind blows through the cellar. The man grasps the bars of the cage.

Donna's instinct to protect these people and herself kick in. She snaps over to them, "All of you! Stop looking at it!" she looks down at Flora, who's eyes are flooding with tears in fear, not blinking, "Flora, don't look. Listen to me! Grab hold of the chain and pull!" Donna pulls on the chain, already feeling pain when she pulls, "Come on! With me! _Pull_!" she tries to hard to ignore the growling sounds emitting from the cage, and Lady Isobel is just staring at it in horror. Donna grits her teeth, "I _said_ : PULL!" Donna screams and they all look at her, their eyes wide, "Stop your whinin' and listen to me! All of you! And that means you, your _Ladyship_! Now come on!"

They all shakily stand and help Donna pull on the chain, trying to free it from the wall.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Father Angelo is still stood by the window, chanting. The room is chaos.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Queen Victoria demands.

Captain Reynolds aims his gun at Sir Robert, "Explain yourself, Sir Robert!"

"What's happening..." Queen Victoria trails off, looking at Sir Robert with frantic eyes.

Sir Robert looks at her, his face twisted in regret and shame and fear, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, they've got my wife."

"Donna!" The Doctor shouts at Father Angelo, his Scottish accent gone. His fists are shaking in rage and his hearts are beating so loudly against his rib cage he thinks everyone can hear. He curls his lips, his concern for Donna overwhelming, "Donna! Where's Donna? WHERE IS SHE?!" Father Angelo ignores him and carries on chanting. The Doctor growls and turns to Sir Robert, "Sir Robert, come on!" they both run from the room.

.~.

The man is slowly transforming into a...into a...wolf! He screams in pain as his skin bulges horribly. His screams turn into growls as he begins to look more and more like a wolf.

A bloody _werewolf_!

His ears are growing longer and Donna can see his veins and his jaw is forming into one like a wolf's and _shit shit shit shit shit shit shit_ , "Come on, you all can do it! Put some muscle into it!" she orders, they all all tug on the chain, desperately trying to free themselves. The transformation is all but complete, "Alright, on three! One...two...three... _PULL_!"

.~.

* * *

.~.

Captain Reynolds seethes at Father Angelo, "Tell me, sir. I demand to know your intention!"

"Lupus deus est," is all he mutters, "Lupus deus est. Lu..."

"What is it that you want?"

Father Angelo stops chanting. He turns to Captain Reynolds, who has his gun pointed directly at him, "The throne," he very suddenly wrenches Captain Reynolds' gun aside and _smacks_ him. The Queen's eyes widen in shock at the action.

.~.

* * *

.~.

The werewolf's transformation is complete, still, he's a bloody _werewolf_! And he's huge, trapped inside that small cage. He's eyes are icy blue and he has matching midnight fur. He - _it_ growls and flexes its claws as the prisoners scream. Donna flinches, her heart hammering in her chest, and the _ohmyGodohmyGodohmyGod this is terrifying_ running through her head, "One, two, three, PULL!"

And finally, _finally_ , the chain comes free.

As soon as it does The Doctor kicks down the door to the cellar.

Donna whips over at him, ignoring the look of short relief which had washed over his face, and the strength she didn't know he had to kick open a locked door, "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!"

The Doctor doesn't answer. He turns at the animal in the cage and stares at the werewolf with wide-eyed awe as it grabs hold of the bars of the cage, "Oh, that's beautiful!"

"DOCTOR."

Sir Robert cries out to his wife, holding onto her, "Get out!"

The wolf begins the bend and break the bars, throwing the cage off. The household staff are all clamoring to get out of the room. The Doctor suddenly remembers the urgency of the situation and turns back to them, "Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out!" he ushers to the prisoners, placing a protective hand on the back of Donna's back.

"Come on!" Donna joins in, pushing them out and usually she would swat away The Doctor's hand, but _they are dealing with a bloody werewolf_ so she lets it stay there.

The werewolf stands tall, free of the cage. He throws the top of it across the room, narrowly missing The Doctor who finally stops staring and makes a run for it. He slams the door behind him and locks it with his sonic screwdriver.

The wolf stretches up and howls at the moon.

.~.

The Queen and Father Angelo remain in the dining room, standing, facing each other across the table.

She stays calm, hands in front of her, "I take it, sir, that you halted my train to bring me here?"

"We have waited so long for one of your journeys to coincide with the moon."

"Then you have waited in vain. After six attempts on my life..." she produces a small gun from her bag and points it at him, hands shaking, "...I am hardly unprepared."

Father Angelo smiles slightly, "Oh, I don't think so, woman."

"The correct form of address is 'Your Majesty'."

Without a second thought, she pulls the trigger.

.~.

* * *

.~.

The Steward hands guns to all the men, "Arms...and your strife...ready everyone?" he turns to Lady Isobel, "Take the girls. Get them out through the kitchen."

She shakes her head, approaching her husband, "I can't leave you. What will you do?"

"I must defend her Majesty. Now, don't think of me, just go," Lady Isobel searches his eyes before bringing him into a quick, fearful kiss and then gathers her maids.

She turns to the women, "All of you at my side, come on!" she pulls them through to the kitchen.

The Doctor is using the sonic screwdriver to relieve Donna of the handcuffs, "It could be any form of light modulated species triggered by specific wavelengths. Did it say what it wanted?" he rushes.

Donna's wrists are burning. Oh, will he hurry up?! "The Queen, the Crown, the throne...you name it, sunshine."

There's a thundering _thumping_ sound from the direction of the cellar and they both whirl around. The Doctor ventures out into the corridor to investigate. The wolf had managed to knock down the door and is stood at the other end of the corridor. He stops when he meets his gaze, and its growling and breathing are so loud from across the other end. He and The Doctor stare at one another for a few moments before the werewolf growls again and the only word and action that runs through The Doctor's head is _run_.

He grabs Donna's hand and pulls her behind the line of men with guns poised and ready, trying to ignore the bright red on her wrists.

"Fire!" the Steward commands. They shoot at the wolf, who stumbles back a few steps, "Fire!"

.~.

* * *

.~.

Lady Isobel and her maids run through to the kitchen. She crosses the room and tries the door, but it won't budge, "It won't open, they've sealed us in."

"Oh my Lady, look!" Flora cries out. Lady Isobel follows Flora's gaze out of the window where she sees the Monks have surrounded the house, guns poised, "They'll never let us out. They mean for us to die!" she continues hysterically.

Lady Isboel narrows her eyes, having faith in herself and her husband, "Don't say that, Flora!"

.~.

* * *

.~.

The room with the firing squad is full of smoke. There's no sign of the wolf.

The Doctor faces them, trying to get back the control, "Alright, you men, we should retreat upstairs, come with me."

"I'll not retreat. The battle's done. There's no creature on God's Earth that could survive such an assault," the Steward protests.

The Doctor growls out angrily, "I'm telling you, come upstairs!"

"And I'm telling you, sir, that I will sleep well tonight with that thing's _hide_ upon my wall," he strides across the room to look down the corridor, checking of the wolf. The Doctor watches him, looking extremely angry and concerned. Donna does the same, a sort of sinking feeling dropping in her stomach.

Apparently seeing nothing, he strides back looking mildly triumphant, "Must've crawled away to die - " and then suddenly he's lifted clean through the ceiling by the wolf and The Doctor feels Donna grip his arm tightly as soon as they all hear the sounds of him being _devoured_.

"There's nothing we can do!" The Doctor snags Donna's now frozen wrist and pushes her from the room with him. Some of the firing squad stand frozen, but that was a terribly horrible move, they get attacked and tore apart as well. Donna can't bear the sounds.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Lady Isobel and her maids listen to the commotion with fear in their eyes, "Did they kill it?" Flora shivers.

Lady Isobel and the others slowly back into the corner of the room, she wraps her arms around them protectively as they crouch down, her eyes fixed on the door. The wolf appears in the doorway and Lady Isobel screws up her eyes tightly and looks away, the speed of her rate speeding up. She feels tears brim her eyes and she wants to scream.

The wolf sniffs the air and then just leaves, his steps still heard but fading away.

Lady Isobel opens her eyes and looks around at the empty room, confused.

.~.

* * *

.~.

In the house study, Queen Victoria opens the safe and removes the small wooden box. She stows it away in her handbag.

.~.

* * *

.~.

The Doctor, Donna, and Sir Robert hurry into a room. The Doctor slams the door behind them and locks it with his sonic screwdriver.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Robert exclaims.

Queen Victoria marches down the stairs, "Sir Robert! What's happening?" The Doctor dashes off somewhere, "I heard such terrible noises."

"Your Majesty, we've got to get out. But what of Father Angelo? Is he still here?"

"Captain Reynolds disposed of him," she lies.

The Doctor returns, "The front door's no good, it's been boarded shut. Pardon me, Your Majesty, you'll have to leg it out of a window," he gestures through a door and Queen Victoria obliges with her head held high.

Sir Robert follows and they find themselves in another upstairs room, "Excuse my manners, ma'am, but I shall go first, the better to assist Her Majesty's egress."

"A noble sentiment, my Sir Walter Raleigh."

"Yeah, any chance you could hurry up?" The Doctor sneers impatiently. Sir Robert climbs onto the window sill and has to immediately dodge out of the way when he gets shot at by the Monks standing outside. The Doctor stares out of the window, also crouched down with the Queen and Donna, eyes wide, "I reckon the monkey boys want us to stay inside."

Queen Victoria blinks rapidly, "Do they know who I am?"

Donna nods, "Yeah, that's why they want you. The wolf's lined you up for a...a bitin'."

"Now, stop this talk. There can't be an actual wolf," the words are no sooner out of her mouth than a howling rings through the house. The company spin around, alarmed, and leave the room hurriedly. They sprint into a hallway and the wolf is battering on the door.

Donna gulps, "What do we do?!"

"Weeee...run!" The Doctor yells.

Donna rounds on him, "Is that it?!"

"You got any silver bullets?" The Doctor rounds just back, snapping at her.

"Not on me, no!"

"There we are then, we run," he turns to Queen Victoria, "Your Majesty, as a Doctor, I recommend a vigourous jog," he jogs on the spot to demonstrate. Donna groans at his stupid action, "Good for the health. Come on!" he grabs the Queen's hand and leads her from the room. They run as fast as they can up the staircase. Donna shrieks when she hears the door being broken down, and the wolf stumbles up the stairs, right on their trail.

"Come on! Come on!" The Doctor urges. Having reached the top of the stairs, they run through the corridors, the wolf close on their tails. It's nearly upon them, ready to pounce. And it does, it pounces on Donna and The Doctor but then a shot rings out quickly and the wolf reels backwards down the corridor. Captain Reynolds ducks behind the corridor where they others are standing, out of breath.

"I'll take this position and hold it," he pants out, "You keep moving, for God's sake! Your Majesty, I went to look for the property, it was taken. The chest was empty."

She takes a quick breath as well, "I have it. It's safe."

"Then remove yourself, ma'am," he faces The Doctor, "Doctor, you stand as Her Majesty's Protector. And you, Sir Robert, you're a traitor to the crown," he cocks his gun.

Donna shakes her head rapidly, "Bullets can't stop it!"

He looks over at her, "They'll buy you time. Now, run!" he positions himself at the end of the corridor, gun held ready. Queen Victoria and Sir Robert have already started running in the opposite direction, followed by The Doctor. Donna runs to, but stops and stares at Captain Reynolds in dismay for a few seconds. The Doctor, Sir Robert and Queen Victoria run into the library. Donna stops outside the door and watches as Captain Reynolds shoots at the werewolf as it bounds down the corridor towards him, pounces upon him and then rips him apart. Donna freezes in horror, not moving.

"Donna!" she hears The Doctor's angry, concerned, worried cry call out to her. He rushes out into the corridor, grabs her round the waist and pulls her into the library just in time to slam the door shut.

Sir Robert and Donna help The Doctor barricade the doors with chairs and bits of wood, "Wait a minute," The Doctor quiets them down, "...shh, shh, wait a minute..." the wolf howls into the silence, "It's stopped," he stands on the chair and presses his ear against the door. Right on the other side, the wolf sniffs against the door and growls. Then, it turns and leaves, "It's gone."

Footsteps can be heard padding around the outside of the room.

Donna nods again, "Listen..."

The Doctor climbs quietly down from the chair and there is dead silence in the library as they follow the wolf's progress around the room, absolutely terrified. The Queen is shaking violently, "Is this the only door?" The Doctor whispers.

Sir Robert whispers back, "Yes. No!" they all jump and watch as Sir Robert dashes to the other door with The Doctor and they barricade it shut.

Donna silences them, "Shut it!" They look around uneasily as they hear the sounds the werewolf is making, the heavy breathes and growls and then, _then_ it stops. Just like that. Footsteps pad away into the distance, "I don't understand," Donna lets out a shaky breath, "What's stoppin' it?"

The Doctor looks around, "Something inside this room," Sir Robert sits on one of the chairs barricading his door and puts his head in his hands. The Doctor looks at him in confusion, "What is it? Why can't it get in?"

"I'll tell you what, though..." Donna breathes out.

The Doctor looks over at her in great concern, "What?"

She strides towards him, a look of annoyance on her face, "Werewolf...an actual bloody werewolf!" she keeps her voice quiet though.

The Doctor laughs loudly, "I know!" Donna lets out a loud gasp when he suddenly throws his arms around her, giving her one of his big, warm, Doctor hugs. He nearly crushes her into him. Before she can hug back he pulls back, resting his hands to her shoulders, "You alright?" he looks over at her, reminding himself not to use his screwdriver on her, she hates when he does that.

She thinks back to the poor men being attacked. She can't worry him though, she's not the main concern. She lets out a breathless laugh, "I'm okay, yeah."

Queen Victoria stares at them, eyes wide.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Sir Robert apologizes from behind them, Queen Victoria spins around to face him, "It's all my fault. I should've sent you away. I tried to suggest something was wrong, I...thought you might notice. Did you think there was nothing strange about my household staff?"

"Well, they were bald," Donna shrugs, "All of them."

"Athletic..." The Doctor mimics Donna's action as well, "...your wife's away, I just thought you were happy."

The Doctor looks down at Donna, and it looks like a light bulb has just gone off in her head. She faces the queen, "I'll tell you what though, ma'am," oh, don't let her do what he think she is, "I bet you're not amused now."

And she did it.

"Donna," The Doctor hisses, grabbing hold of her arm.

"Do you think this is funny?" Queen Victoria hisses.

"No, ma'am," Donna mumbles meekly, "I'm sorry."

She straightens herself up, speaking in a very demanding, 'I'm-the-bloody-queen' voice, " _What_ , exactly, I pray tell me someone please, what exactly is that creature?"

The Doctor scratches his head, "You'd call it a werewolf, but technically it's a more of a lupine wavelength haemovariform."

"A wot?" Donna mumbles from beside him.

"And should I trust you, sir?" Queen Victoria challenges, her voice wavering in alarm, "You who change your voice so easily? What happened to your accent?"

The Doctor then realizes his Scottish accent has disappeared as soon as he thought Donna had been in danger, "Oh...right, sorry - "

"I'll not have it," he immediately closes his mouth, "No, sir, not you, not that thing, none of it. This is _not_ my world."

.~.

* * *

.~.

The moon is still high in the sky. The Monks outside with their guns poised have garlands of mistletoe looped around their necks. Lady Isobel, still in the kitchen, notices, "Mistletoe...they're all garlanded in mistletoe and the wolf doesn't attack them," she realizes, "Who brought this into the kitchen?"

"It must've been the Brethren," Flora answers.

"Gather it up," she orders, "Quickly. Every last scrap!" they all begin to gather the mistletoe on the floor up, "Quick, now!" they throw the scraps of mistletoe onto the table.

.~.

* * *

.~.

The Doctor traces the woodwork around the library. There's a carving of mistletoe on the door, "Mistletoe..." he mumbles, "Sir Robert, did you father put that there?"

Sir Robert narrows his brows, "I don't know, I suppose..."

"On the other door, too..." The Doctor thinks out loud, "...a carving wouldn't be enough. I wonder..." he licks the woodwork and Donna pulls a face because _honestly_ , "Viscum album, the oil of the mistletoe, it's been worked into the wood like a varnish! How clever was your dad? I love him!" he turns to Donna, "Powerful stuff, mistletoe. Bursting with lectins and viscotoxins."

"...So basically the wolf's allergic to it?"

"Well, it thinks it is. The monkey monk monks need a way of controlling the wolf, maybe they trained it to react against certain things."

"Nevertheless, that creature won't give up, Doctor, and we still don't possess an actual weapon," Robert mentions.

"Oh, your father got all the brains, didn't he?" The Doctor remarks, venom in his voice.

Donna can't help but agree, but still she reminds him because she doesn't like _him_ being rude, "Being rude again."

"Good. I meant that one," he strides towards the book shelves, "You want weapons? We're in a library. Books! Best weapons in the world!" he pronounces it big and grand rolled his r's. He spins around and puts his glasses on, "This room's the greatest arsenal we could have," he pulls some books off the shelf and chucks some to Donna, "Arm yourself," and he had this voice when he said it, and she's not havin' him talk to her like that. With an annoyed grunt she _chucks_ one right back at his face.

.~.

* * *

.~.

The maids and Lady Isobel are working hard in the kitchen, chopping up the mistletoe, "No sound of the wolf, my Lady," Flora says, "Perhaps it's gone."

"Perhaps it's toying with us," she counters, "But my husband's up there. And if there's any chance he's still alive, then by God, I'll assist him," Flora throws the mistletoe into the boiling water.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Donna, The Doctor and Sir Robert are frantically flicking through the books, talking over one another. Donna thinks she found something, "Biology, zoology...there might be something on wolves in here."

"Hold on, what about this?" The Doctor asks, chucking another book at Donna.

Robert flicks through another book, "...some form of explosive..."

The Doctor has an older, large light brown book placed in his hand. Oh, he's brilliant for finding this! "Hmm, that's the sort of thing. Ooh..." he jumps down from the ladder, holding a book which he puts down on the table, "Look what your old dad found. Something fell to Earth," On the open page there is an illustration of a rock falling to Earth from the sky.

Donna and Sir Robert gather around, "A spaceship?" Donna asks.

"A shooting star," Sir Robert corrects. He reads off the page, "'In the year of our Lord, 1540, under the reign of King James the Fifth, an almighty fire did burn in the pit.' That's the Glen of Saint Catherine just by the Monastery."

Donna narrows her eyes, "But that's over three hundred years ago. What's it been waitin' for?"

"Maybe just a single cell survived," The Doctor guesses, and he knows he's right so he continues, "Adapting slowly down the generations. It survived through the humans. Host after host after host."

"But why does it want the throne?"

"That's what it wants," Donna adds on, "It said so, the...the Empire of the Wolf."

"Imagine it..." The Doctor forbids, "the Victorian Age accelerated...starships and missiles fueled by coal and driven by steam, leaving history devastated in its wake."

Queen Victoria stands, "Sir Robert!" Sir Robert goes to her, "If I am to die here..."

He shakes his head, "Don't say that, Your Majesty."

"I would destroy myself rather than let that _creature_ infect me," she continues anyways, "But that's no matter. I ask only that you find some place of safekeeping for something far older and more precious than myself," she opens her bag.

"Hardly the time to worry about your valuables," The Doctor comments from the table.

Donna smacks him, quite hard to.

"Thank you for your opinion," Queen Victoria says tightly, "But there is nothing more valuable than this," she takes the 'Koh-I-Noor' from her bag and holds it in the palm of her hand.

"Your Majesty..." is all Sir Robert manages, eyes transfixed on the beautiful diamond.

Donna gasps in amazement, "Is that the Koh-I-Noor?"

The Doctor's just as amazed, "Oh yes...the greatest diamond in the world," he and Donna shuffle forward for a closer look.

"Given to me as the spoils of war," Queen Victoria replies with a slight smile, "Perhaps its legend is now coming true. It is said that whoever owns it must surely die."

"Well, that's true of anything if you own it long enough," The Doctor acknowledges, "Can I...?" he holds out his hand for the diamond. Queen Victoria hesitates for a moment, cradling it to her chest, and Donna frowns, she doesn't blame her for not wanting The Doctor to touch it. She gives a small smile to the Queen and with that she hands it to him. He, of course, takes it gently. He pushes his glasses down his nose to look at it closely. Donna prods it, eyes wide.

"That is so beautiful," The Doctor praises.

"How much is that worth?" Donna doesn't want to look away, it's gorgeous.

"They say, the wages of the entire planet for a whole week."

Donna peers at it, "Good job my mum's not here. She'd be fightin' the wolf off with her bare hands for that thing."

"And she'd win."

Donna laughs slightly at his comment.

At the mention of the wolf Sir Robert asks, "Where is the wolf?" he walks away, "I don't trust this silence."

"Why do you travel with it?" The Doctor asks Queen Victoria, referring to the diamond.

"My annual pilgrimage. I'm taking it to Helier and Carew. The Royal Jewellers at Hazelhead. The stone needs recutting."

Donna gives a delighted gasp, "Oh, but it's _perfect_ ," she traces a finger over the diamond, smiling.

"My late husband never thought so."

The Doctor removes his glasses, "Now, there's a fact, Prince Albert kept on having the Koh-I-Noor cut down. It used to be forty percent bigger than this. But he was never happy. Kept on cutting and cutting."

Queen Victoria smiles at the memories, recalling what her husband used to say to her, "He always said...the shine was not quite right. But he died with it still unfinished."

"Unfinished..." The Doctor gasps out with realization, "Oh yes!" he _tosses_ the Koh-I-Noor back to Queen Victoria, who catches it with a gasp. Donna gasps out, wondering how he could just _toss_ it like a ball! Moron. She spins around, seeing him get that look on his face. Where he was gonna start talkin' very fast, working on it through his head. She braces herself, "There's a lot of unfinished business in this house. His father's research, your husband, ma'am, he came here and he sought the perfect diamond, hold on, hold on..." he ruffles his hair violently in his eagerness to work it out, "All these separate things, they're not separate at all, they're connected! Oh, my head, my head! What if, this house, it's a trap for you, is that right, ma'am?"

"Obviously," she nods.

"At least, that's what the wolf intended. But! What if there's a trap _inside_ the trap?"

"Explain yourself, Doctor."

"What if his father and your husband weren't just telling each other stories. They dared to imagine all this was true. And they planned against it. Laying the real trap not for you...but for the _wolf_ ," a fine sprinkling of plaster falls from the ceiling. They all look up, and the werewolf is walking over the glass dome above their heads, looking down at them and growling. Their eyes all widen, "That wolf there..." but then the glass of the dome starts to crack underneath one of the wolf's feet. The Doctor and Donna throw down their books and together with Queen Victoria run to the door, "Out! Out! Out!"

As the werewolf crashes through, smashing the desk, The Doctor, Donna and Sir Robert destroy their barricade and run out into the corridor.

"Your Majesty!" Sir Robert exclaims.

The Doctor takes one last look at the roaring wolf before slamming the doors closed.

The four of them run down the corridor, "Gotta get to the observatory!" The Doctor yells. They careen around a corner, the werewolf close behind. Just as the wolf goes to pounce on them once again, Lady Isobel throws a pan of mistletoe water onto the wolf. The werewolf bounds back down the corridor away from them.

"Good shot!" Donna praises.

Lady Isobel flashes her a relieved smile, "It was mistletoe!" The Doctor follows the wolf a way down the corridor.

Sir Robert reaches to his wife, "Isobel!" he and Isobel embrace each other and kiss as the Doctor and Donna make sure the wolf has gone, "Get back downstairs," Sir Robert tells her when they pull away.

"Keep yourself safe."

He nods and they kiss again, "You go."

Lady Isobel and the maids go past Sir Robert and make their way back to the kitchen, "Girls, come with me. Down the back stairs, back to the kitchen. Quickly!" As they run off, Sir Robert stares after his wife, and wonders if he'll ever see her again.

"Come on!" The Doctor urges. They set off at run again down the corridor.

"The observatory's this way!" Sir Robert yells and they reach the central staircase and hurry up it as fast as they can. The werewolf is recovering and soon returns to the chase. They finally arrive at the observatory, The Doctor in the lead.

"No mistletoe on these doors, 'cos your father wanted the wolf to get inside!" The Doctor informs, "Get inside I just need time! Is there any way of _barricading_ this?!"

"Just do your work and I'll defend it."

The Doctor seems to ignore Sir Robert, "If we could bind them shut with rope or something!"

"I said I'd find you time, sir," Sir Robert stands tall, determined. Donna and Queen Victoria stare at him in aghast, "Now get inside."

The Doctor looks at him for a second, "Good man," Sir Robert closes the door and The Doctor runs to the Queen, "Your Majesty, the diamond."

She pulls back, "For what purpose?"

"The purpose it was designed for."

Meanwhile, Sir Robert locks the door from the outside. The howls of the werewolf can be heard coming down the corridor. He arms himself with a sword from the display on the wall, thinking of his beautiful wife, as the werewolf bounds up the stairs.

Queen Victoria hands over the diamond form her bag. The Doctor runs over to the mechanism for the telescope, "Donna!" Donna runs to the Doctor, "Lift it! Come on!" They struggle to turn the wheel for a moment, but the cogs start to shift and the telescope to rise.

"Is this the right time for stargazing?" Donna remarks, sending a glare his way.

"Yes, it is."

Outside the observatory, the werewolf finds Sir Robert guarding the door. As it approaches slowly, Sir Robert glares at it, disgusted, not afraid to face death, "I committed treason for you. And now my wife will remember me with honour!" he manages one hard slash at the wolf with his blade before he gets devoured.

Donna looks hopelessly terrified at his final screams, facing the door where she knows Sir Robert had gotten killed.

Queen Victoria holds up her crucifix. They hear battering the door.

The gears continue to grind while Queen Victoria murmurs a prayer under her breath.

Donna rounds on The Doctor, "You said this thing doesn't work!"

"It doesn't work as a telescope because that's not what it is!" he yells right back, "It's a light chamber! It magnifies the light rays like a weapon. We've just got to power it up!"

"But there's no electricity!" The Doctor grunts and turns to the light chamber. Ohhhhh, now she gets it! "Moonlight! But it needs moonlight! It's made by moonlight!"

"You're seventy percent water but you can still drown," The Doctor comments, " _Come on_!" The Light Chamber finally starts to align with the moon, "Come on!"

At last it's properly aligned.

Donna and The Doctor step away from the gears as the moonlight bounces off the prisms. Just as the werewolf breaks through the door, the light spews forth from the end of the light chamber onto the floor far short of the werewolf. The werewolf advances on the Queen but Donna dives across the floor and throws the Koh-I-Noor into the beam of light.

A fantastic, prismatic beam of light hits the werewolf. He's lifted off the floor and hangs there, caught in the wash of moonlight. As they look on, the werewolf retakes human form into the host, "Make it brighter," he says quietly, "Let me go," The Doctor slowly walks across to the light chamber and flicks a switch.

With a final howl from the wolf form, that sends shivers down their spines, the creature vanishes and the light shuts off.

Donna breathes a huge sigh of relief. The Queen, however, is staring intently at some wound on her wrist. The Doctor and Donna notice her.

"Your Majesty?" The Doctor asks, advancing towards her.

"Did it bite you?" Donna adds on, concerned for the Queen.

"No, it's...it's a cut," she says quietly, "that's all."

The Doctor goes on, "If that thing bit you - "

"It was a splinter of wood when the door came apart," she says softly, still examining her wrist.

The Doctor's beside her, "Let me see."

She pulls her hand away sharply when he reaches for her wrist, "It is nothing."

The Doctor and Donna stare at her, obviously not believing her.

.~.

* * *

.~.

It's dawn and the sun rises over a serenely misty valley.

In the Torchwood house hall, The Doctor and Donna step forward and kneel before Queen Victoria. Everyone is present including Lady Isobel and the maids, "By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub the: Sir Doctor of TARDIS," she taps him on each shoulder with a sword, he smiles but eyes the new bandage that was wrapped around her hand, "By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub the: Dame Donna of the Powell Estate," she taps her on each shoulder with the sword, "You may stand," The Doctor and Donna rise.

"Many thanks, ma'am," The Doctor smiles.

Donna grins, "Thank you! They're never going to believe this back home."

Flora smiles over at Donna.

"Your Majesty, you said last night about receiving a message from the great beyond; I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life," The Doctor tells her, "He's protecting you even now ma'am, even from beyond the grave."

"Indeed. Then you may think on this, also: that I am _not_ amused."

The Doctor groans, smiling, whilst Donna looks jubilant, "Yes!" she cheers.

"Not remotely _amused,"_ Donna makes an effort to wipe the smirk off her face, and The Doctor can't help but smile, "And henceforth...I banish you."

The Doctor and Donna's smile drop, looking stunned, "I'm sorry?" they both echo.

"I rewarded you, Sir Doctor," she clenches her jaw, stepping towards them, "And now you are exiled from this empire, never to return. I don't know what you are, the two of you, or where you're from, but I know that you consort with stars, and magic, and think it fun. But your world is steeped in terror and blasphemy and death and I will _not_ allow it! You will leave this shores and you will reflect, I hope, on how you came to stray so far from all that is good. And how much longer you may survive this terrible life," Queen Victoria steps away from them angrily, "Now leave my world," she commands, "And _never_ return."

.~.

* * *

.~.

On a field, Donna and The Doctor have hitched a lift on the back of a farmer's cart, "You just _had_ to enjoy all and lose your accent. Nice going, sunshine," Donna complains once again, sending him yet another glare.

He can't see why she's _this_ upset, "How was I _not_ supposed to enjoy it?" he argues back, "I only lost the accent when you were in danger. I couldn't help it!"

"Well, you should've - "

"Wait, hold on, what's that?" The Doctor cuts her off, looking down at her side.

Donna blinks, "What's wrong?" she looks down to see what had caught his sudden interest.

He points to her blouse, near the bottom of her ribcage, "How'd you get that?" Donna pulls her shirt a little to see a narrow tear. He frowns at the injury, and knows she loves this blouse. He sees the dried blood and the cut, but to his relief it's not terrible. Nothing the TARDIS can't fix. He looks up at her, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Doctor, I didn't even know it was there," she says flatly.

"Didn't notice the tear in your shirt? Didn't feel any pain?"

She shakes her head, "No. Wolfie never got me, I'm clean. I was kinda busy helpin' you, runnin' for my life, readin' books, you know, the usual."

"I guess so," he mumbles, still peering down, "Does it still hurt?"

She scoffs, "Oh, quit your worryin'. I'm fine. Nothing that your ol' girl can't fix."

Before he can continue his worries the cart comes to a halt, "Whoa!" the farmer says.

The Doctor jumps off the back of a farmer's cart back in the highlands near the TARDIS, he turns to Donna, hand stretched out. She scoffs, moves his hand away and jumps down as well, "Cheers, Dougal!" The Doctor waves as they walk away and the farmer drives off, "You know, dropping our argument - "

"Which was _your_ fault."

"...No, the funny thing is," he continues tightly, "Queen Victoria _did_ actually suffer a mutation of the blood! It's historical record haemophiliac. It used to be called the Royal Disease! But it's always been a mystery because she didn't inherit it. Her mum didn't have it her dad didn't have it, it came from nowhere!"

Donna stops, "Wot, and you're sayin' that's a wolf bite?"

"Well, maybe Haemophilia is just a Victorian euphemism."

She meets his eyes, "For werewolf?"

"Could be!"

"Queen Victoria's a werewolf?!" she shrieks.

"Could be!" he lifts a finger, "Annnddd her children had the Royal Disease."

Donna pulls back disbelievingly, "So, the Royal Family are werewolves?"

"Weeeelll...maybe not yet. I mean, a single wolf cell could take...a hundred years to mature...might be ready by...oooh...early 21st century...?"

"Nah!" Donna does a motion with her hand, " _That's_ just ridiculous! Mind you, Princess Anne - !"

"I'll say no more."

Donna 'hmms', "And if you think about it...they're very private. They plan everything in advance. They, they could schedule themselves around the moon, we'd never know!" The Doctor sniggers as they reach the TARDIS and he opens the door. They bundle in, "They like huntin'! They _love_ blood sports!" The Doctor laughs, the TARDIS starts to dematerialize, "Oh my God, they're _werewolves_!" she laughs.

The Doctor howls and they both cackle over the sound of the TARDIS engines until it has completely vanished.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Night has fallen over the Torchwood House as the Queen and Lady Isobel walk slowly from the house, both wearing black, "What will you do?" Queen Victoria asks her, "Will you stay here?"

Tears are on Lady Isobel's cheeks, still running, "I don't think I could. I'd sell it. Or I'd pull this place down."

Queen Victoria glances at the sign on the wall saying 'Torchwood House', and then away again with a look of grim resolution in her eyes, "Although we may not speak of these events in public, they will not be forgotten. I promise you that. Your husband's sacrifice...the ingenuity of his father...they will live on."

Lady Isobel frowns, "But how?"

"I saw last night, that Great Britain has enemies beyond imagination, and we must defend our borders on all sides. I propose an institute to investigate these strange happenings and to fight them. I would call it...Torchwood. The Torchwood Institute. And if this Doctor should return, he should beware, because Torchwood will be waiting."

* * *

 **ending author's note/disclaimer:** Again, I'm so sorry for the wait!

Man, I'm so disappointed by my lack of DoctorDonna moments in these chapters so far. I can't really do anything about it, there's adventures to do! But I put in as many as I can, and there will always be more chapters.

So, I liked describing Donna's outfits a lot, because in that scene where I wrote her talking to the Host, Rose already looked beautiful in that scene...but can you imagine Donna? Wavy ginger hair and shackles on her wrist in a blue blouse and skirt? Gorgeous.

The suspense in this episode was great. And Lady Isobel is beautiful.

I hope you all enjoyed and I'll try to make the next chapter come quicker, ahhh, school's almost over, yes! After this story I will be fixing my Primeval story, because I look back on it and it's soooo cringe-y.

Next up is _School Reunion_!


	4. School Reunion

**author's note/disclaimer:** So, before this story starts, once again thank you for all the reviews on this story!

But, I have been given this repeated in my last chapter with the 'I'm not amused' bit from Donna, and at first I wanted her to have fun, which she was, but I do feel so stupid for including that she played the joke after people have been killed. Donna would not have done that and I am very annoyed with that bit, aggh me! But I have been given wonderful tips from those reviews and thank you again! I apologize for including that bit, but every author makes mistakes. I'm just very annoyed with myself about THAT one.

And I just wanted to say that to my other reviews if you want to review on that!

Alright, here is the next chapter!

* * *

 **Sure as the Stars  
Chapter Four  
School Reunion**

* * *

At Deffry Vale High School, outside of the Headmaster's office, Mr. Finch descends a flight of stairs. He is an older man, dressed in a sharp suit and his hair is pushed back, with some slight jell. He rounds a corner and heads for a door labeled 'Headmaster'. There is a small girl sitting outside though, waiting. At first, he walks straight past her, but then he pauses and looks back, "What do you want?"

The young girl, Nina, looks up, her face fallen, "The nurse sent me, sir. I was in English and I got a headache," her short brown hair is straightened on her shoulders, but anyone can tell she looks awful.

"Then don't bother me, go home," his voice is slick.

"I can't."

"Why? Is your mother at work?"

"I live in Ambrose Hall. The children's home."

"No parents. No one to miss you?" Nina shakes her head, "I see why the nurse sent you," he gives her a smile, but she silently thinks to herself that he's trying too hard, but she's too sick to make a run for it. Mr. Finch always gives her a scary feeling, "You poor child. Poor...thin, child. Come inside," he turns to his office, and Nina stands to follow him. He opens the door for her and she enters, "It's nearly time for lunch," he shuts the door, and almost immediately there is screeching and flapping sounds from within, coupled with the sound of Nina screaming.

The school bell rings and the stairways are crowded with children hurrying to get to their next lesson.

.~.

* * *

.~.

Inside the Physics lab, a boy, Kenny, heads into a science lab and goes to a bench. The door opens and a familiar pair of scruffy white converses step inside. The Doctor plonks his bag down on the teacher's desk and faces the class. He's in his brown pinstripe suit, no long coat ( _"your long coat will make you look like a_ _weirdo"_ , Donna had said) and his glasses,"Good morning, class. Are we sitting comfortably?" he grins widely.

After role call, The Doctor scrawls the word 'PHYSICS' in capital letters on the whiteboard and underlines it with a red marker that squeaks on the board. He turns back to his class, "So. Physics," he replaces the cap of the board pen and chucks it back down on the desk, "Physics. Eh? Physics. Phyyyyyyyysics. Physics! Physics. Physics, physics, physics, physics, physics, physics, physics," the class look bemused and if Donna were hear she would tell him he's trying to hard, which he is. He sniffs purposefully, "I hope one of you is getting all this down. Um, okay, let's see what you know," he stuffs his hands in his two pockets, "Two identical strips of nylon are charged with static electricity and hung from a string so they can swing freely. What would happen if they were brought near each other?" A boy, Milo, puts his hand up, "Yes, uh, what's your name?"

"Milo," he answers.

"Milo! Off you go."

"They'd repel each other because they have the same charge."

"Correctamundo!" In the back of his head he can see Donna pull a face and echo right back, _'Correctamundo?'_ "A word I have never used before and hopefully never will again. Question two, I coil up a thin piece of micro wire and place it in a glass of water. Then I turn on the electricity and measure to see if the water's temperature is affected. My question is _this_ : how do I measure the electrical power going into the coil?" Milo's hand shoots up again, "Someone else," there is absolutely no response from the rest of the class, they all look tired and bored. Bored about physics?! "Nope...?" Maybe he should just pick someone, or would that be too rude? He thinks better, "Okay, Milo, go for it."

"Measure the current and PDs in an ampmeter and a voltmeter," the other pupils look impressed.

"Two to Milo! Right then, Milo, tell me this; true or false: the greater the dampening of the system, the quicker it loses energy to its surroundings."

"False."

"What is a non-coding DNA?"

"DNA that doesn't code for a protein."

"Sixty-five-thousand-nine-hundred-and-eighty-three times five?"

"Three-hundred-and-twenty-nine-thousand-nine-hundred-and-fifteen."

Some of the other pupils look very impressed, others just disturbed. The Doctor keeps in the delighted cry he wants to let out. This child is amazing, but is not that strange? "How do you travel faster than light?"

"By opening a quantum tunnel with an FTL factor of 36.7 recurring."

The Doctor's mouth drops open slightly.

.~.

* * *

.~.

It's lunchtime, and Donna wants to slap somebody. Somebody being The Doctor.

She's undercover as a _dinner lady_! Dinner lady! Out of all the things!

She and the other dinner ladies are spooning food onto people's plates. The Doctor moves along the line with his tray. And Donna, smashes some mashed potatoes onto his plate as soon as she sees him and gives him a filthy look. She goes to raise her hand, but lowers it, and growls. Her hair is in a low bun, and she's wearing the most _ridiculous_ white hat or whatever it is and a matching white outfit and a light blue apron. She has to clean tables, and give out and make food! And these kids are such _slobs_!

He just smirks at her and heads towards the tables. Donna shakes her head.

He looks over his shoulder and gives another _stupid smirk_ with another _stupid raise of his eyebrows_. Maybe she can use the fork and throw it at him, maybe it'll jab him right in his shoulder.

At his table, some time later, The Doctor spears a chip on his fork, nibbles it, and stares at it distastefully.

Donna comes over with a dishcloth to wipe his table down, " _Two days_."

"Sorry, could you just...there's a bit of gravy," he points to it with his fork. Donna wipes the table forcefully, "No, no, just there," she wipes up the gravy up furiously.

"Two days, we've been here," she reminds him, annoyed.

"It was your granddad's idea. He's the one who put us onto this."

She sends him a filthy glare, "Don't go sayin' this is his fault. You made me a flippin' dinner lady."

He gives her a smirk, "Sorry about that."

"No, you're not."

He shrugs his shoulders, "He was right to send us here. Boy in class this morning, got a knowledge way beyond planet Earth."

Donna's eyes slightly widen. A mini Doctor? That's just lovely, "Oh, well, at least he's smart. But that _is_ weird."

He pushes his tray away slightly, "So how about you? Anything interesting?"

She curls her lip, "Almost got in a fight with this skank."

The Doctor's eyes widen and he sweeps his eyes quickly around the room, "Donna! Language! There's children!" she rolls her eyes, "Why did you almost get in a fight?"

"I was ginger."

He almost chokes on the chip he was (was not) going to eat, "What?!"

Donna nods furiously, "Exactly! She got all pissed off because I'm _ginger_! Ooh, I should have given her a good pop to the mouth!" she pops the 'p'.

The Doctor stares at her, well, her hair mostly, "Your hair is beautiful!" he takes her hat off and moves her bangs out of her face, feeling the smoothness of her hair for a good five seconds before Donna smacks his hands away. He turns bright red. Right. Hands. Friends don't run their fingers through their friend's hair with lovey-dovey eyes.

She puts her hair back in a bun and puts her hat back on. She flicks her eyes down at his tray, "You eatin' those chips?"

He looks up at her, "Yeah, they're a bit...different."

Donna helps herself to one. She chews it and licks her lip, and while she does, The Doctor looks away from the simple action, and guilty looks down at his tray.

"I think they're alright. Wish I had school dinners like this," she sits down.

She watches The Doctor look around the cafeteria, "It's very well behaved, this place."

"Mm," Donna reaches for another chip and the whiff of her lovely Jasmine perform fills his nostrils, "Yeah. No misbehavin' students. Nothin'."

"I thought there'd be happy-slapping hoodies. Happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs. Happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones," he stares at Donna impressively but she doesn't have any reaction, "Yeah? Yeah? Oh, yeah! Don't tell me I don't fit in."

"You don't fit in."

A dinner lady approaches their table and gives the stink eye to Donna, "You are not permitted to leave your station during a sitting."

Donna makes a face back, twice as filthy and twice as threatening. The Doctor assumes this is the one she almost fought. He hopes they don't fight right now. Not in front of the kids. He sees the lady eyeing Donna and he feels himself glaring at her as well.

Donna stands up, "I was just talkin' to this teacher."

The Doctor stops glaring and immediately gives her a smile, "Hello!"

"He doesn't like the chips," Donna acknowledges the other lunch lady.

"The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance," she addresses to The Doctor stiffly. She whirls back to Donna, "Now, get back to work," she leaves.

Donna walks away from the table and stops, turning back to him, "See? This is me," she gestures down at her uniform, "The dinner lady. All your fault! I coulda been a substitute!"

"I'll have the crumble!" he starts to smile.

He thinks she'll hit him or give him the finger or groan, but she doesn't. She just gives him a raise of her eyebrow. A dangerous, threatening raise. Then, she returns to her station.

A teacher, Mr. Wagner, approaches a girl sitting a few tables away, "Melissa. You'll be joining my class for the next period. Milo's failed me...so it's time we moved you up to the top class," The Doctor watches, chewing absently, listening carefully. Failed him? Mr. Wagner looks across at a boy, "Kenny? Not eating the chips?"

"I'm not allowed."

Not allowed?

Mr. Wagner turns serious, "Luke, extra class. Now," he leaves, and several of the children follow him.

Mr. Finch watches the proceedings from a balcony above the canteen like a hawk. He feels a pair of eyes on him. And quickly meets The Doctor's gaze.

.~.

Donna is in the kitchens, drying a tray, grumbling to herself.

But then she hears noises, a few dinner ladies are coming in.

"Careful...keep it steady...don't spill a drop," Donna looks over, hiding herself, (just in case) behind some trolleys. A few of the dinner ladies are very, very carefully wheeling in a barrel of oil. They have masks, goggles and gloves on. It's huge! She watches them carefully, "I said keep it steady. Careful...that's it...easy now...steady..." Donna feels her mobile vibrating in the pocket of her apron, "Right, second barrel, quickly now."

"What is it?" Donna whispers.

She hears The Doctor shifting around, _"Well, I can only be in here for so long. Kinda snuck in without permission. Anyways, your granddad wanted conformation. So, I got into army records."_

"Isn't that illegal or somethin'?" she smirks, hearing him sigh at the obvious.

 _"Three months ago, massive UFO activity,"_ he tells her and the word 'UFO' sounds to weird coming from his lips, _"They logged over forty sightings, lights in the sky, all of that. I can't get any photos, 'cause then it gets all classified and secret. Keeps locking me out."_

"Try that stupid screwdriver."

He gasps, offended, _"It is not stupid, Donna Noble!"_

She rolls her eyes, urging him on, "Yeah, whatever. Have you tried it?"

 _"Of course I have,"_ Donna has the words 'smartarse' on her lips but doesn't say them, _"Still not working. Very, very strange."_

"Tell you what, though," Donna lowers her voice, "three months ago, turns out all the kitchen staff were replaced, now _that's_ strange," she watches the dinner ladies wheel another barrel of oil into the kitchen with what seems to be unnecessary caution, "And this lot are weird. They're carryin' some weird container."

 _"Definitely something going on. Wilf was right to call you home. Great man, he is!"_

Donna can't help but smile, mostly because his whole sentence was true, "Alright, genius, I gotta go. I have to see what's going on."

 _"Bye. Be careful!"_

"Yeah, uh-uh. Totally. Bye, Spaceman."

"Watch it!" The dinner lady shouts, Donna moves in closer to get a better view. Then, the barrel of oil topples over and spills onto one of the dinner ladies, who screams in agony and starts smoking. Donna swallows her gasp, and the urge to go run and help her, the oil was green! And smoking the woman! "Get her up, get her up!" the dinner lady is hoisted to her feet, still whimpering in pain.

The dinner lady covered in the oil is steered into an office, still wailing with pain. Donna tries to see through the partition but the blinds are swiftly drawn.

She needs to do _something_. She quickly dials 999 as the head dinner lady emerges from the office. She pulls her goggles down and leans against the doorframe, eyeing the redhead suspiciously, "What're you doing?"

Donna stares at her like she's mad, "Callin' an ambulance!"

"No need."

"No need?!" Donna exclaims right back in shock.

"She's quite alright."

Before Donna can do anything else she jumps at the sudden sound of something bursting into flames, followed by the sound of something smashing, and a billow of smoke from the office. The dinner lady doesn't flinch. Yeah, uh-huh, it's _fiiiinnnee_.

"It's fine," she assures Donna terribly, "She does that," she goes back into the office, leaving Donna completely confused.

When she makes sure no one is watching her, Donna moves closer to the barrel of oil for a closer look.

.~.

In the computer lab, Mr. Wagner makes his way to the front of an IT Suite, the children are already at their computer terminals.

He faces the class, "I'd like you all to put your headphones on now, please," the children oblige, "Now, children...the things you will see..." he presses a key on his own computer at the front of the class.

The children raise their hands to the keyboards and start to type unnaturally fast, eyes locked onto the screens, not blinking. There's some sort of green code scrolling down the monitor.

Mr. Wagner watches the students, smiling slightly.

.~.

Mr. Finch and a woman descend a flight of stairs, talking. The woman is beautiful, she has lovely blue eyes and brown hair that stops at her shoulders and kind smiles and a soft voice, "My improvements aren't confined to the classroom," Mr. Finch smiles, "Oh, no, no, no, no, no. We've introduced a new policy. School dinners are absolutely free. But compulsory. Do try the chips."

The woman, Sarah Jane Smith smiles brightly, "Oh, I'd love to, thank you! And it's got to be said, the transformation you've brought about is amazing. I mean, maybe you're working the children a little bit too hard now and then..."

"Hmm?"

"But I think good results, they're more important than anything," she finishes.

"Exactly. You're a woman of vision, Miss Smith," Mr. Finch's smile grew again.

"Oh, I can see everything, Mr. Finch. Quite clearly."

.~.

Inside the staff room, The Doctor is sitting on a desk, nibbling on a biscuit. A teacher pacing up and down in front of him, continuing his rants, "But yesterday, I had a twelve year old girl give me the exact height of the Walls of Troy...in cubits."

"And, it's ever since the new headmaster arrived?" The Doctor asks.

"Finch arrived three months ago. Next day, half the staff got flu. Finch replaced them with that lot," he nods over to where a group of smart looking teachers are standing. The Doctor looks over his shoulder at them, "Except for the teacher you replaced, and that was just plain weird, her winning the lottery like that."

"How's that weird?"

"She never played," The Doctor hides his smile, "Said the ticket was posted through her door at midnight."

The Doctor pops another biscuit into his mouth, "Hmm! The world is very strange," as he chews on the biscuit, he thinks that they're not as good as the ones Donna always makes him get.

"Excuse me, colleagues," Mr. Finch calls, "a moment of your time."

The Doctor turns. His now wide eyes are instantly drawn to the woman who had just entered the room with him. He stands frozen, just staring.

"May I introduce Miss Sarah Jane Smith," Mr. Finch introduces her fondly, "Miss Smith is a journalist, who's writing a profile about me for the Sunday Times."

Sarah Jane smiles around at them all. The Doctor's face lights up, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards into a smile. He can't help but stare, it's Sarah Jane Smith. _His_ lovely Sarah Jane Smith! Alive and well and she looks...she looks incredible. She's still smiling, that radiant, bright smile.

"I thought it might be useful for her to get 'a view from the trenches', so to speak. Don't spare my blushes," Mr. Finch says, but The Doctor doesn't really listen. Mr. Finch leaves.

Sarah Jane catches The Doctor's eye and approaches him with a hop in her step and smile, "Hello!"

His hearts pound and this overwhelming feeling of joy washes over him, "Oh, I should think so!" he agrees, his face hurts from smiling.

"And, you are...?"

He wants to look away, he thinks he's being rude for staring, but he can't take his eyes off her. Oh, she just asked a question! "Hmm?" his eyes go wide, "Uh, Smith. John Smith."

She looks a bit taken back in old memories before nodding to herself, "John Smith? I used to have a friend who sometimes went by that name."

"Well, it's a very common name!"

"He was a very uncommon man," she lets out a small sigh before shaking away the memories and adventures they had together. She holds out her hand, "Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you!" he gushes, shaking her hand quickly, only growing more excited, "Yes! Very nice! More than nice, brilliant!"

"Um...so, um, have you worked here long?" she wonders, striking up a conversation for small talk.

"No! Um, it's only my second day," he swallows, feeling his hearts pounding and shaking.

She nods, "Oh, you're new, then? So, what do you think of the school? I mean, this new curriculum?" The Doctor still can't tear his eyes away from her, and he's smiling at her, but she doesn't seem to notice, "So many children getting ill, doesn't that strike you as odd?"

The Doctor grins widely, "You don't sound like someone just doing a profile," he says quietly, and still smiling. He can't stop. She's here and investigating and _brilliant_!

"Well, no harm in a little investigation while I'm here," she smiles back.

"No. Good for you," she walks away after sending him a nod to go meet some of the other teachers. The Doctor's eyes follow her, pride in his eyes and his eyes are sparkling, "Good for you. Oh, good for you, _Sarah Jane Smith_."

The bell rings, pulling him out of his trance. He walks off into the corridors, which are crowded with students. The Doctor takes slow steps with a vague smile and a faraway expression on his face, just remembering. Remembering his adventures with Sarah Jane Smith. He just wanted to cry out, 'It's me! It's The Doctor!' and hug her so tightly and never let go for a while, but he couldn't. He wanted to, it's better to think of the times they had.

.~.

On the stairwells, Kenny watches a couple of his fellow pupils go up the stairs, wondering why they're so eager to get to class.

He hears a flapping sound and strange noises coming from a nearby classroom. He follows the sound cautiously until he reaches the IT Suite.

Inside the computer lab, Kenny crouches to peer under one of the desks and sees a horrible bat-like creature who screeches angrily at him. Kenny gasps in fright but the next thing he knows, Mr. Wagner has just straightened up from behind the desk, his neck clicking and his eyes glowing dangerously.

"This isn't your classroom, Kenny," he says to the boy, unnerving and deadly calm, "Now run along."

Kenny turns on his heel and runs without a second thought.

Mr. Wagner watches him go, eyes narrowed.

.~.

The day comes to an end and night falls over the school. Inside one of the classrooms, the corridors are dark and empty, the chairs up on the desks. A torch shines into a classroom, and Sarah Jane is at the window.

She undoes the latch and peers inside. When she is sure the coast is clear, she hoists herself inside.

.~.

By one of the corridors, The Doctor, now with his long coat, opens a fire door and comes through it into a dark corridor, followed by Donna.

They enter in, The Doctor's hand intertwined in Donna's. She's dressed in a pair of running shoes, some dark jeans, and a grey hoodie that he thinks looks _very_ cute on her. But if he were to admit that he's just get a 'Wot?!'

Her nails are painted bright blue, "When I was little, I tried to have a sleepover at the school. My friends, well not really friends, were too scared to come with me. So I went, ran around the school until I passed out. Got in sooo much trouble, let me tell you!"

He smiles to himself at the image of little Donna running around her school at night, "When you say 'not really friends' what do you mean? Call them your team. Oh no, I hate people who say 'team'. 'Alright, team.' Um...'gang.' Um...'comrades'. Uh...anyway, go to the kitchen and get a sample of that oil. I'm gonna look in Finch's office. One of us will also check the Maths department if we're finished. Be back here in ten minutes," he takes off up the stairs and calls over his shoulder, "Be care - "

Donna's already walking away, waving him off, "Don't start. I'm not twelve! I can handle myself!"

"I'm just making sure!"

"You don't need to!"

"I was just - "

"Maybe we shouldn't be yelling from the ends of the hallways, hmm?"

"Okay, yeah, brilliant idea! See you in ten minutes!"

.~.

The Doctor heads down a dark corridor, brow furrowed as he hears screeches and flaps in the distance.

He pauses for a moment and then strides to find the source of the noise.

.~.

Sarah Jane begins to pick the lock to Mr. Finch's office.

She hears a bang followed by a screech, and spins around, eyes wide. The sounds become even louder and closer and she gives a sharp intake of breath and backs away down the corridor.

.~.

Back at the kitchens, Donna takes the lid off the barrel of oil and spoons some into a small jar, wearing gloves.

A shadow passes over her followed by a screech.

She looks up sharply, brows furrowed. What the hell was that?

.~.

Taking deep breaths, Sarah Jane backs into the maintenance closet and slams the door behind her.

She turns slowly and almost screams.

There, looming in front of her, is the TARDIS. Her eyes widen in shock and she stumbles of the room, not believing it...

She stares at the closed door, and then turns slowly around. The Doctor is standing there in the darkness, watching her, "Hello, Sarah Jane," he says quietly.

"It's you," she whispers in realization, "Oh...Doctor..." a smile starts to spread across her face as she edges towards him, "Oh my God, it's you, it's...it's...you've regenerated," she laces her hands in front of herself.

"Half a dozen times since we last met," he smiles back.

"You look...incredible."

"So do you."

"I got old," she shrugs and moves around him, staring at him, "What're you doing here?"

"Well...UFO sightings, school gets record results, I couldn't resist. What about you?"

"Same," they laugh and it feels so good to laugh with her again. But Sarah Jane's smile falters and his does too. She sounds close to tears when she speaks again, "I thought you'd died. I waited for you and you didn't come back, and I thought you must've died."

"I lived. Everyone else died."

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone died, Sarah," he says hoarsely, quiet pain filling his hearts.

Sarah Jane shakes her head, whispering in disbelief, "I can't believe it's you," the moment is broken by the sound of screeching, "Now I can!" they grin at each other and run from the gym to find the source of the screech. They almost skid into Donna who runs from a converging corridor.

"Did you hear that?" she asks but then she notices Sarah Jane and blinks, "Who're you?"

The Doctor smiles, "Donna Noble, Sarah Jane Smith! Sarah Jane Smith, Donna Noble!"

Donna looks pleasantly surprised and offers her hand, "Oh," Sarah Jane blinks at the kindness, she didn't think...well, she figured he would have a new 'companion', but she figured they would dislike her, she gives Donna Noble a smile, "Hi, it's nice to meet you."

"You're an old friend?" Donna asks, looking at the two of them.

The Doctor scratches his ear, he doesn't know what to think, what they'll do to each other. It seems to be going well.

"Yes, I am, actually. It's nice to meet you, Donna."

Before Donna can say anymore The Doctor speeds off and they quickly follow them. What they see surprises them all, especially Donna.

They find Wilfred Mott in one of the classrooms, surrounded by a load of vacum-packed rats.

"Sorry!" Wilf apologizes, spinning around to face them all, "Sorry, it was only me. I started looking through some of these cupboards and all of these fell out of them."

"Wilfred?!" The Doctor yells, taken aback.

Donna has a completely different reaction.

"GRAMPS?!" Donna screeches on top of her lungs.

Sarah Jane gasps, covering her ears and so does The Doctor.

When they look over at Donna, her face is red and her eyes are wide, "WHAT - WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she rushes up to him and embraces him tightly and he returns the embrace.

"Well, I wanted to come investigate, the doors were opened. I thought I would be alone but apparently not," he looks over Donna's shoulder and smiles, "Hello, Doctor!"

The Doctor twiddles his fingers at Wilf, "Hello!"

Sarah Jane leans over to The Doctor, "Gramps?"

The Doctor leans over as well, "Wilfred Mott, good, quiet man. Much quieter than his granddaughter."

Donna glares over Wilf's shoulder, "I heard that, Timeboy!"

The Doctor scratches his ear and Sarah Jane giggles behind her hand.

Wilf then notices Sarah Jane after he lets go of Donna, "Who's that?"

"Sarah Jane Smith," Donna introduces, no venom or disgust dripping from her voice.

The Doctor bends down and picks a few of the packed rats to examine them.

Donna peers over his shoulder, "Oh my God, they're rats. Dozens of rats. Vacuum packed rats!" The Doctor keeps examining it and Donna waits for him to question something but she groans, throwing her granddad and Sarah Jane a look of exhaustion, "Um, Doctor? Are you gonna mention that there's something _very strange_ about this? Rats in school?"

"Well, obviously they use them in Biology lessons. They dissect them," Sarah Jane states.

Donna looks over her shoulder at Sarah Jane, "No one dissects rats in school anymore."

Sarah Jane gives a 'hmm' and Donna does the same.

The Doctor quietly sighs in relief. Thanks to everything he knows that these two weren't fighting. Who knows the insults they would give each other? "Everything started when Mr. Finch arrived," he gets back to the point, "We should go and check his office," he chucks the rat he is holding back to Donna, who drops it.

She lets out a breath through her nose, tapping her foot angrily on the floor. Sarah Jane giggles from next to her, already aware of Donna's temper. They all follow The Doctor when he leaves the room.

Donna catches up with Sarah Jane, "So, you used to travel with The Doctor?"

Sarah Jane nods her head, "Yes, oh, we had so much fun!" they walk next to each other, quiet for a few moments.

"Did you have to deal with what I deal with?" Donna wonders suddenly.

The older woman shakes her head, "Hmm? Oh, my Doctors weren't as young. How would you describe him?"

"Spaceman? Annoyin'. Know-it-all. Scrawny. Did I say annoying? Loves the touching, big fan of holdin' hands and huggin'."

Sarah Jane breaks into a smile, "I didn't call him 'Spaceman', clever nickname," Donna smirks, "Annoying? Well..."

"Pfft, you know it's true. You're too good to admit it, aren't you, Sarah Jane?"

"Oh, fine. More like irritating. Sometimes. That's where the know-it-all part fits in, too."

"Were yours skinny?"

"Hmm. No."

"Buff?"

Sarah Jane chuckles, "Average? Oh, I don't know."

"Well, at least you don't get a bloody paper cut from huggin' him then."

"Well, I had to deal with two Doctors."

"So did I."

Sarah Jane bursts into another round of chuckles, as does Donna. She wants to pause though, grab The Doctor by his stupid tie and smack his stupid face silly for not mentioning Sarah Jane. Did he just forget her? No, that's not possible. He couldn't have. Did he just decide to ignore her? She'll have to ask him later. She doesn't want tell Sarah Jane that The Doctor never told her about her, she knows the feeling of that, of feeling suddenly unimportant by the person you loved the most. She continues walking and enters the Headmaster's office.

Wilfred pats The Doctor on the shoulder, "Ho! Ho! Ohh, I don't know what's worse for you, the missus and the ex fighting or the missus and the ex teasing you!" he gives a jolly laugh and carries on. The Doctor swallows several times before moving forward.

Outside of the Headmaster's office, The Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver to unlock the door of Mr. Finch's office.

"Maybe those rats were food," he guesses.

Donna shrugs. It's possible, "Food for what though?"

The Doctor opens the door, softly and slowly, and peers inside.

There are some incredibly strange noises coming from there. The Doctor's eyes are fixed on the ceiling. Bat-like creatures are hanging upside down from the ceiling. They're about as big as them, bigger though. They're red, and monstrous. The four of them stare at the creatures with wide eyes.

Wilfred shakes his head, "No way!"

Sarah Jane and Donna quickly back away with Wilf. The Doctor goes last, shutting the door behind him, trying to be quiet.

But at the sound of the door shutting, one of the bats wakes up and screeches.

.~.

Donna, Sarah Jane, Wilf, and The Doctor hurry out of the front doors of the school.

"I am not going back in there!" Wilf gasps out.

"Definitely not!" Donna rests a hand on his back and turns to The Doctor, eyes wide, "Those were _teachers_!"

"Yes, Donna."

"They're _bat-people_!"

"Finch brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies and a nurse. Thirteen. Thirteen big bat people. Come on," he begins to walk back inside.

Sarah Jane shakes her head, "What are you doing?"

He looks over at her, "I need the TARDIS. I've got to analyze that oil from the kitchen."

She shakes her head again, but with a smile this time, "I might be able to help you, there. I've got something to show you!" she pulls him excitedly in the direction of the car park.

When they get to the car park, Sarah Jane opens the boot of her car. Inside is something covered with a green blanket. The Doctor pulls the blanket off to reveal K9!

"K9!" The Doctor squeals, delighted at the sight of the old, robotic dog, "Donna Noble, Wilfred Mott, allow me to introduce K9...well, K9 Mark III to be precise."

Wilfred smiles and gushes about the tin dog. Donna tries to hide her smile, tries to say one of the insults that is running through her head but she can't because this was his old 'dog' and Sarah Jane's, she can't make him sad with a comment about K9. She eyes the dog, smiling, "He's rather...disco."

The Doctor rounds on her, "Oi! Listen, in the year five thousand, this was cutting edge!"

Donna raises her hands up, "Watch how you're speakin'! I wasn't bein' mean!"

The Doctor jumps on his feet, "Come on, pet him!"

Donna blinks, he wants her to pet a tin dog? He must have read her mind because then he starts saying how great K9 is. Sarah Jane and Wilf watch in amusement. The Doctor then takes Donna's hand and rests it on K9's head, "See? Just like that!"

"I know how to pet a dog!" Donna snaps, still petting the robotic dog.

The Doctor chuckles, cheeks turning slightly pink. Sarah Jane notices that his hand had reached to hold Donna's other hand.

The Doctor looks back down at the dog after Donna stopped petting, "What's happened to him?"

"Oh, one day, he just...nothing!" Sarah Jane tells him.

"Well, didn't you try and get him repaired?"

Wilfred shakes his head at The Doctor's reaction. Donna knows he loves K9, she can see right through him.

"Well, it's not like getting parts for a mini-metro!" Sarah Jane argues, "Beside, the technology inside him could rewrite human science. I couldn't show him to anyone!"

"Ooh, what's the nasty lady done to you? Eh?" The Doctor coos. They all watch as The Doctor strokes K9 and makes more coo-ing noises.

All four of them are being observed.

"Look, no offense but could you two just stop pettin' for a minute?" Donna asks over her shoulder as she heads towards the car.

The Doctor grins down at K9 before closing the boot of the car.

The bat-like creature flies past the moon, screeching.

.~.

Inside the chip shop, The Doctor and Sarah Jane are sitting at a table by the window, chatting and laughing whilst the Doctor tries to fix K9, who has been placed on the table-top. Wilfred and Donna are by the counter.

Donna hands her granddad the chips for two quid she had just bought him and he kisses her forehead at the action. They both sit at the table, smiling over at Sarah Jane and The Doctor.

"It's a tin dog, though," Donna mutters in amusement, taking another sip of her drink.

Wilf nods, "I think he's cool, sweetheart," he takes a bit of his chip.

.~.

Mr. Finch stands on top of a building on the other side of the road, "Come to me...come to me..."

At his command, one of the bat-like creatures swoops down towards him. It lands on the building beside him, and together they watch The Doctor through the window of the chip shop.

.~.

"I thought of you on Christmas Day," Sarah Jane mentions, "This Christmas just gone? Great big spaceship overhead, I thought, 'Oh, yeah. Bet he's up there'."

The Doctor looks over at her and smiles, "Right on top of it, yeah."

"And Donna?"

He nods, his eyes brightening at the mention of her. Sarah Jane can't help but notice, but at his reaction her smile only widens, "She was there too."

They both pause while Sarah Jane looks at him and The Doctor continues to fiddle with K9's wires, "Did I do something wrong?" she suddenly asks, "Because you never came back for me. You just...dumped me."

"I told you," his smile falls, "I was called back home and in those days humans weren't allowed."

She frowns, "I waited for you. I missed you."

He tries to brush it off with a smile, "Oh, you didn't need me! You were getting on with your life."

"You were my life," The Doctor looks up at her seriously, taking her statement to hearts. He watches her face fall and her eyes fill with sadness and memories, "You know what the most difficult thing was? Coping with what happens next, and with what doesn't happen next. You took me to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, you showed me supernovas, intergalactic battles and then you just dropped me back on Earth. How could anything compare to that?"

He furrows his brows, "All those things you saw, do you want me to apologize for that?"

"No, but we get a taste of that splendor...and then we have to go back."

He smiles again, eyes shining with that pride again, "But look at you, you're investigating! You found that school, you're doing what we always did."

"You could've come back."

He smile falls once again, "I couldn't."

"Why not?" she whispers.

The Doctor doesn't answer. Sarah Jane gives a small shake of her head while The Doctor switches his sonic screwdriver back on and returns to repairing K9. But she's still not done, she scoffs, "It wasn't Croydon, where you dropped me off, it wasn't Croydon!"

It wasn't? He frowns, "Where was it?"

"Aberdeen!" she bites out, irritated.

The realization draws in, "Right," he pauses, "That's next to Croydon, isn't it?" Sarah Jane smiles and shakes her head, not being able to help herself. At that moment, K9 springs to life, "Ohhhh, hey!" he drums his hands on the table loudly, "Now we're in business!" he praises and he leaps to his feet and stands in front of K9.

"Master!" K9 greets.

Donna gasps, "He _talks_!"

The Doctor is absolutely ecstatic, "He recognizes me!"

"Affirmative."

"Donna, give us the oil," he says, holding out his hand.

From the roof, Finch and the creature still watch. Finch crouches and the bat-like creature follows suit...

The Doctor takes off the lid of the jar with the oil inside and is just about to dip his finger in it.

"I wouldn't touch it mate, that dinner lady got all...scalged," Donna warns him quickly.

"I'm no dinner lady. And I don't often say that," with that stupid remark, he dips his finger into the oil and K9 puts out a sensor for The Doctor to smear it onto, which he does, "Here we go. Come on, boy. Here we go."

"Oil," K9 reads, "Ex - ex - ex - extract ana - an...analyzing..."

Wilf grins, delighted, "Listen to it! That's a voice!"

"Careful!" Sarah Jane warns him, of course teasing, "That's my dog!"

"Confirmation of analysis: substance is Krillitane Oil," K9 finishes.

"They're Krillitanes," The Doctor says in shock.

Donna peers over his shoulder, "That's bad, right?"

"Very. Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad."

Sarah Jane narrows her eye brows, "And what are...Krillitanes?"

The Doctor looks between the four of them, explaining, "They're a composite race. Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries, people you've invaded or have been invaded by, you've got bits, bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever...the Krillitanes are the same. An amalgam of the races they've conquered. But they take physical aspects as well. They cherry-pick the best bits from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognize them. The last time I saw Krillitanes, they looked just like us except they had really long necks."

Donna places her hands on her hips, "What're they doing here?"

The horrible realization sinks in for The Doctor, "It's the children."

Donna's eyes widen, hands dropping from her hips, "Oh my God."

"They're doing something to the children."

From the roof, Mr. Finch and the other Krillitane glance at one another. The Krillitane screeches, spreading its wings out.

.~.

Outside of the chip shop, Wilf and Sarah Jane hoist K9 into the boot of the car, "So, what's with the tin dog?"

Sarah Jane leans back against the car with him, "The Doctor likes traveling with an entourage," she clarifies for him, "Sometimes they're humans, sometimes they're aliens, and sometimes...they're tin dogs," Wilf smiles and gives a small laugh, "What about you? Where do you fit in the picture?"

"Me? I'm just Donna's granddad. I love her though, she always wanted to have a good adventure."

Sarah Jane nods, "Have you ever traveled with him yet?"

Wilf shakes his head, "No. I don't want to barge in on their fun."

She shakes her head, "The Doctor is very kind, as you can tell. And from what I've seen, so's Donna. If they both love you they'll bring you along. You should go on at least one trip, it's worth it, I promise you. He can take you anywhere."

Back on the roof top, The Krillitane on the rooftop screeches, but Finch puts his finger to his lips to silence it, "On my command."

The Doctor leaves the chip shop followed by Donna, "Oi!" she calls. He stops immediately and whirls around. She storms up to him. Oh, what had he done? He didn't annoy her in any way, had he? This wasn't about Sarah Jane, was it? "Why haven't you mentioned her?" Oh, it is about her, "We're best mates, why wouldn't you tell me about her? Did you think I would get mad?" she seems mad, but she only grows madder, and her shoulders start to tremble, "You two seem so close - probably even closer back then - did you just decide to ignore her? Forget about her? You dropped her off, at the wrong place for one, and didn't come back. Didn't reassure her that you were okay, didn't make sure she was okay, how could you do that to her? Why would you just keep her wonderin'?"

He blinks. She's talking about Sarah Jane for a different reason than he thought. She's asking about her, defending her. Oh, Donna Noble.

His face falls. Donna always thinks he looks older when he does that, he doesn't look young and happy, he looks old, so very, very old and lost and as if the weight of his world is on his shoulders, "I don't age. I regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone who you - " he stops, when he realizes what he was about to say.

Donna frowns, glancing over at Sarah Jane, "Did the old you love her?"

He doesn't answer. Doesn't want to answer. What's the point? His sentence wasn't just about Sarah Jane anyways.

He stares at her intensely, "Donna..."

"We tell each other a lot. This is one of 'em."

"I did."

She feels her stomach drop at the crack in his voice. She's not jealous, she's not angry, she know that she's not the first. She's just heartbroken by the sound of his voice. She knows he's lived for hundreds of years. He didn't expect her to think that she was the only one, did he? She knows he had friends come and go, and she knows that he could have fell in love with them along the way.

"So how could you do that? How could you abandon her, Doctor?"

He feels like he's being choked all of a sudden, but he's not. Donna's hands are still on her side. He wants to tell her, wants to spill out his guilt about Sarah Jane and the love that he had for her, and he knows Donna will let him, but he can't. He can't bring himself to.

"You can spend the rest of your life with me. I won't abandon you."

"This isn't about me."

He opens his mouth, trying to think of words to say. Now he wonders if she'll lay awake at night, thinking if he'll live her, if he'll remember her, if he'll think about her. But he will, of course he will. The pain of the same thought of Sarah Jane runs through his mind. He promises himself he will not to shut them away. The guilt that he had only increases at Donna's concern and wonder and anger. He still wonders how he could have done that.

"You can spend the rest of your life with me," he repeats, "But I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords."

"Time Lord," a voice hisses out in realizes shock.

The Doctor and Donna notice Mr. Finch and the other Krillitane on the roof. The creature screeches and swoops down towards them. They duck, but then it just flies away.

"Was that a Krillitane?" Sarah Jane gasps.

"But it didn't even touch her!" Donna shakes her head, "It just flew off! What did it do that for?"

They all look up, watching with shocked eyes as the Krillitane fly off into the night, screeching.

.~.

The next morning, the school bell rings and the children flock towards the building. The Doctor, Wilf, Donna, and Sarah Jane get out of Sarah Jane's car and stride towards the school. The Doctor pauses for a moment to give instructions, "Donna and Sarah, you go to the Maths room. Crack open those computers, I need to see the hardware inside. Here, you might need this," The Doctor's takes Donna's hand and places the screwdriver in her hand. He turns to Wilfred, "Wilf, surveillance. I want you outside."

Donna crosses her arms, "Is he gonna be okay? Just standin' outside?"

Wilf nods, "I'll be fine, sweetheart."

Sarah Jane chucks him her car keys, "Here, take these, you can keep K9 company."

Donna sends a glance to The Doctor's way, "What're you gonna do?"

"It's time I had a word with Mr. Finch."

.~.

A pair of shiny black shoes walk down a crowded corridor. They pause a moment.

Mr. Finch looks up and sees The Doctor leaning over the stairwell, looking down at him and making no attempt to disguise the fact. After giving him a hard stare, Mr. Finch goes on his way and The Doctor continues on up the stairs.

The Doctor opens the door to the swimming pool room, where Mr. Finch waits for him on the opposite side of the water, leaning against one of the walls, "Who are you?"

"My name is Brother Lassa," he answers, "And you?"

"The Doctor. Since when did Krillitanes have wings?"

"It's been our form for nearly ten generations, now," Mr. Finch walks forward, hands behind his back, "Our ancestors invaded Bessan. The people there had some rather lovely wings. They made a million widows in one day, just imagine."

"And now you're shaped human."

"A personal favorite, that's all."

"And the others?"

"My brothers remain bat form. What you see is a simple morphic illusion," The Doctor nods his head, mouthing 'Ah', "Scratch the surface and the true Krillitane lies beneath," they begin to walk slowly towards the same side of the pool, as if it was predator vs prey, "And what of the Time Lords? I always thought of you as such a pompous race. Ancient, dusty senators, so frightened of change and...chaos. And of course, they're all but extinct. Only you. The last."

"This plan of yours, what is it?"

"You don't know."

"That's why I'm asking."

They're facing each other now, rivals. The tension is rising.

"Well, show me how clever you are. Work it out."

"If I don't like it...then it will stop."

"Fascinating," Mr. Finch muses, as if he's studying him, and tilts his head, "Your people were peaceful to the point of indolence. You seem to be something new. Would you declare war on us, Doctor?"

"I'm so old now," The Doctor says quietly, in that calm but threatening voice, "I used to have so much mercy," he stares at him a moment longer, "You get one warning. That was it," and he turns his back on Finch and begins to walk away.

"But we're not even enemies," Mr. Finch calls out, "Soon...you will embrace us," The Doctor turns back, "The next time we meet, you will join with me. I promise you," Mr. Finch walks past him with a knowing smile on his face and leaves. The Doctor watches him go suspiciously, brow furrowed.

.~.

In the computer lab, Sarah Jane crouches beneath one of the computer desks and trying to switch on the sonic screwdriver. She comes out, smacks the keyboard and stares at the sonic screwdriver, "It's not working!"

With a soft roll of her eyes Donna holds her hand out, "Give it to me," Sarah Jane hands her the sonic screwdriver and ducks underneath the desk.

"How come it's not working like I remember?" Sarah Jane frowns.

"New sonic, maybe? I dunno," Donna turns the sonic screwdriver on and it whirrs and buzzes as she holds it to the back of the computer, "This thing is such crap," she grumbles.

Sarah Jane shifts and crouches down next to the ginger, "Donna, can I give you a bit of advice?"

"I've a feelin' you're about to, so go right ahead."

"Well, I know how intense a relationship with the Doctor can be and - " Donna jolts up, smacking her head against the desk in process, " - are you alright?"

Donna lets out a string of cusses before she crawls from out underneath the desk, glaring, "WE'RE NOT IN A RELATIONSHIP!" she aims the screwdriver (which she would never use) at Sarah Jane.

Sarah Jane holds her hands up, "Oh! Okay, okay!"

"We are just mates! Buddies! _FRIENDS_!"

"Yes, yes, you've made that quite clear!"

Donna lowers the screwdriver and sighs, rubbing her head, "Why does everyone assume that?"

She doesn't hope fro an answer, and Sarah Jane opens her mouth to answer, but she sees the look on Donna's face, so she doesn't reply. She averts her eyes, smiling down at her lap.

Donna leans against one of the computers, arms crossed, "With you, does The Doctor do that thing where he'd explain something at ninety-miles-per-hour, and you'd never understand so he just stares at you like you'd just dribbled on your shirt?"

Sarah Jane brightens up, "All the time!" they erupt into giggles, "Does he still stroke bits of the TARDIS?"

Donna nods frantically, holding her stomach, "All the bloody time! I walked into him doin' it once and asked, 'Do you two wanna be alone'? Never seen his face get any redder!"

They laugh madly, sharing stories about where they went and stories of The Doctor, of the amazing and ridiculous things he can do.

" - Jelly babies?!" Donna laughed at one point.

Sarah Jane had agreed at some point, " - Pinstripe suits and long coats and converse!"

"Oddly suits good ol' Spaceman!"

" - You met the emperor of the Daleks?!"

" - Charles Dickens! Ha!"

"Oh, how could you have missed _that_ skinny lump?" Donna scoffs, making grand gestures with her hands, "He has the attention span like Daffy Duck!"

Sarah Jane gasps, laughing, "Now that you mention it, he does!"

"See?"

"Sometimes, I'd be talking and he'll just zone out!"

Donna nods, "Exactly! He's so rude!"

The two of them laugh loudly with one another and at that moment The Doctor decides to walk in, he pops his head in, "How's it going?" the sight of him makes them laugh even harder, "What?" he squeaks, oblivious, "Listen, I need to find out what's programmed inside these," they take no notice of him and fall about laughing hysterically, Donna pointing the sonic screwdriver at him, "What? What is it?! Stop it!"

.~.

Mr. Finch enters his office, where the rest of the Krillitanes disguised as school staff are sat around at table, "Brothers, we must initiate the final phase," he begins to smile, "Get the children inside and seal the school. Our time has come, my brothers. Today we shall become Gods."

.~.

The children are in the playground, playing football, and laughing. The buzzer goes off and they stop.

 _"All pupils to class immediately. And would all members of staff congregate in the staff room,"_ the voice on the loud speaker says.

The pupils begin to move indoors without hesitation, except for Kenny.

A young girl, Melissa, pauses for a moment as she passes him, "Breaktime's finished early. Isn't that fantastic?!" she moves off again.

Kenny waits until the last possible moment before he relucantly follows the crowd.

.~.

The children clamber to get inside the IT Suite occupied by The Doctor, Donna, and Sarah Jane who turn around to see them scrambling in.

Donna shoos them away, standing in front of the door, "No, no, this classroom's out of bound! You've all gotta go to the South Hall. Off you go, South Hall! Go!"

The children move away and Donna shuts the door with a relieved sigh.

.~.

Mr. Finch and his brothers enter the staff room.

Mr. Parsons stands, not happy, "What is it now, Mr. Finch?"

"Slight change in the timetable. We're having an early lunch," Mr. Finch smiles.

Mr. Wagner closes the door to the staff room, and changes his shape immediately.

And there are screeches and screams as the teachers inside get devoured.

.~.

Back inside the computer lab, The Doctor, sonic screwdriver clenched between his teeth, rips a handful of wires out of a computer and hangs them around his neck as runs the sonic screwdriver along the back of the computer. Sarah Jane watches him, looking slightly anxious.

"I can't shift it," he grunts out.

"I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything!" Sarah Jane exclaims.

"Anything except a deadlock seal, apparently!" Donna looks at the computer, "There's gotta be something inside here, right?"

The Doctor looks over at her, "And what're they teaching those kids?"

.~.

Mr. Wagner holds a door open for the children, who bundle inside the classroom.

Kenny is left outside. He hesitates, taking a few steps backwards, not trusting the eagerness of the other children.

.~.

Mr. Finch walks into his office and sits behind the desk, "Close the school," he taps a few keys on the keyboard, and the screen flashes with the text: 'SECURITY OVERRIDE'.

He sits back in his chair and burps quietly into his hand.

Every exit to the school slams shut.

.~.

Mr. Wagner once again brings the code up onto the computer screens.

The children's heads snap forwards and they type furiously as the code scrolls down the screen.

.~.

Sarah Jane looks around, before seeing that every computer in their IT Suite is displaying the code, "You wanted the program, there it is."

"Some sort of code..." he mutters, getting up to get a better look.

.~.

Kenny runs down the corridors, looking through every window and seeing the same thing, hordes of children engrossed in the computers. Terrified, he runs back in the direction he came from and down the stairs. He tries the main doors at the front of the school, but they are sealed shut. He rattles them.

Lucky for him, Wilfred notices him and immediately gets out of the car.

.~.

The Doctor stills stares at the code, eyes wide and his mouth slightly hanging open, "No...no, they can't be..."

.~.

"They've taken them all!" Kenny cries to Wilf through closed doors.

Wilf shakes his head, "What?"

"They've taken all the children!"

As fast as he can, Wilfred heads back to the car and rips the blanket off K9. He presses random buttons frantically, "Oh, come on, I need some help!" he whacks K9 on the head, then looks away helplessly, but then...

"System restarting," the robotic dog says, "All primary drives functioning."

Wilf cheers, "You're working! No time to explain, we need to get inside that school. Do you...er, have a lock picking device?"

"We are in a car."

"...Maybe a drill attachment?"

"We are in a car."

"Fat lot of good, you are," Wilf sighs, shaking his head.

"We are in a car."

Wilf then looks back up, realizing what the dog had met, "We're in a car!" he looks over and shouts to Kenny, "Get back!"

Kenny squints through the window.

.~.

"The Skasis Paradigm," The Doctor breathes, "They're trying to crack the Skasis Paradigm."

"Wot's that?" Donna asks. At the same time Sarah Jane asks, "The Skasis what?"

"The...God-maker," he starts explaining quickly, "The universal theory. Crack that equation and you've got control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control."

"So the _kids_ , are like a giant computer?" Donna guesses.

The Doctor nods, "Yes," he paces around, "And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil! That oil from the kitchens, it works as a...as a...conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer."

"But that oil's on the chips," Donna realizes, had she been infected to? "I've been eatin' them."

"What's fifty-nine times thirty-five?" The Doctor rounds on her, leaning close.

"Two thousand and sixty five," she says without missing a bit, "Oh my God..."

The Doctor nods, "That says it all."

Donna shakes her head, "But why use children?"

"Can't they use adults?" Sarah Jane asks.

"No, it's gotta be children," The Doctor shakes his head, "The God-maker needs imagination to crack it. They're not just using the children's brains to break the code... they're using their souls."

Behind him, Mr. Finch walks into the room, "Let the lesson begin."

The Doctor turns to face him.

Mr. Finch approaches him slowly, "Think of it, Doctor, with the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it."

"Oh yeah?" Donna challenges.

The Doctor takes a step forward, "The whole of creation with the face of Mr. Finch. Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are."

"You act like such a radical," Mr. Finch grinned, "and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order. Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good."

"What, by someone like you?" The Doctor scoffs skeptically.

"No...someone like you," The Doctor falls silent, not prepared for that answer, "The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Become a God. At my side. Imagine what you could do, think of the civilizations you could save. Perganon, Assinta...your own people, Doctor. Standing tall. The Time Lords...reborn."

The Doctor still says nothing, staring into Mr. Finch's eyes and not looking away.

"Doctor, don't listen to him," Sarah Jane says quietly.

"It's not right, Doctor," Donna glances at him with uncertainly. Surely he wouldn't take this offer, would he?

Mr. Finch turns to Donna and Sarah Jane, stepping towards them, but The Doctor lets out a threatening grunt that makes him stop, but Mr. Finch continues, "...And you could be with him throughout eternity. Young...fresh...never wither, never age...never die. Their lives are so fleeting," he turns back to The Doctor, frowning, "So many goodbyes. How lonely you must be, Doctor. Join us."

The Doctor has a faraway look in his eyes...he's so terribly tempted, "I could save everyone..."

"Yes."

"I could stop the war..." The Doctor whispers.

A small smile graces Finch's lips.

"No!" Sarah Jane tries to plead with him, desperate, "The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love," Mr Finch closes his eyes.

Donna grasps his arms, he looks down at her bright blue nails digging into his sleeve, "This isn't right. You know it's not. It's...a fixed point in time, Spaceman," she's tempted to help him to, tempted to go along with him. He took her to Pompeii. She remembers how she begged him to say someone, but now she knows, "You can't save everyone," she repeats.

Sarah Jane steps up, "Whether it's a world, or a relationship...everything has its time. And everything ends."

The Doctor stares for a few more seconds, Sarah Jane's words strengthening his resolve. He grits his teeth suddenly and Donna pulls back when he gets out of her hold, picks up a chair, and hurls it through the screen displaying the code, which smashes, "Out!" he shouts, running past Finch with Sarah Jane and Donna.

.~.

Wilf starts the car and starts driving it straight towards the school, right through the front doors, smashing the windows. Sylvia is gonna kill him.

He leaps out and looks down at Kenny, "Come on!"

.~.

Mr. Finch, on the stairs, lets out a screech that echoes through the whole school.

Mr. Wagner and two other Krillitanes pause and morph into their true, bat form.

.~.

Kenny and Wilf meet The Doctor, Donna, and Sarah Jane at the bottom of the stairs.

"What's going on?" Wilf asks them, looking frantically at the three of them.

Suddenly, the three Krillitanes half fly, half grope their way along the corridor to them. The Doctor and the others turn on their heels and run in the opposite direction. The Krillitanes separate at the end of the corridor, and only one pursues them. They run into the canteen hall and try the doors on the other side, but they're locked. The Doctor reaches inside his coat for the sonic screwdriver, just as Mr. Finch bursts through the doors followed by several of the Krillitanes.

"Are they my teachers?" Kenny cries out.

"Yeah," The Doctor nods, "Sorry."

Mr. Finch turns to his brothers, "Leave The Doctor alive. As for the others...you can feast."

The Krillitanes swoop down on them. The Doctor tries to beat them off with a chair. Donna does, too. The others scream and try to duck out of the way. Donna even manages to smack one across the face, but they still manage to get attacked.

Suddenly, one of the Krillitanes is hit with a beam of red light and falls to the floor, dead.

They all turn into where the direction of the blast came from. K9 to the rescue.

Mr. Finch roars with rage.

"K9!" Sarah Jane exclaims.

"Suggest you engage running mode, mistress," K9 begins.

"Come on!" The Doctor shouts, he and the others run off as K9 shoots at the Krillitanes again and again, "K9, hold them back!"

"Affirmative, master. Maximum defense mode!"

The Doctor reaches a door, he ushers the others through it, "Come on!" he slams it shut behind them and locks it with his sonic screwdriver.

"Power supply failing," K9 still fights, shooting.

"Forget the shooty dog thing," Mr. Finch shakes his head in quiet exasperation.

"Power supply failing..." K9 reaches the end of his power supply and switches off.

.~.

The five of them all enter a Physics lab where The Doctor suddenly gets an idea, "It's the oil. Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil! That's it! They've changed the physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them," he spins around, facing Donna, "Donna, how much was there in the kitchens?"

"Barrels of it," she answers, still confused, "Why?"

They jump as the Krillitanes start to pound on the locked door, their claws ripping holes in it.

The Doctor begins again, "Okay, we need to get to the kitchens. Wilfred and Donna, get all the children unplugged and out of the school," he quickly changes to the big question, "Now then, bats, bats, bats, how do we fight bats?"

To answer his question, Kenny strides over to a fire alarm, breaks the glass with his elbow and sets it off. The Krillitanes immediately wince and quail at the shrill sound. The Doctor beams and flings open the door, seeing that the Krillitanes are in too much distress to hurt them. He and the others quickly run past. Finch, gritting his teeth, punches through a wall and rips out a bundle of wires which cuts off the alarm.

"Get after them," he orders. He strides down the staircase, and the other three Krillitanes, having recovered, follow him.

.~.

As they run down a corridor, K9 emerges from a doorway, "Master!"

"Come on, boy!" The Doctor coos, "Good boy," K9 trundles along with them.

.~.

Wilfred and Donna burst into one of the IT Suites.

Donna clears her throat, "Alright! Listen everyone, we've gotta get out of here," no one takes a blind bit of notice of her. The children are all 'plugged into' the computers. Bewildered, Wilfred stares at a monitor, then waves his hand in front of Melissa's face which elicits no response whatsoever.

"Uh, Donna?"

"Yeah, I see."

Now, they just need to find a way to help the kids out of the computers. Simple enough, right?

.~.

The Doctor, Sarah Jane, K9, and Kenny reach the kitchens. The Doctor immediately holds his sonic screwdriver to one of the oil barrels, "They've been deadlock sealed!" he tries another, "Finch must've done that. I can't open them."

"The vats would not withstand a direct hit from my laser," K9 says, "But my batteries are failing."

The Doctor nods, "Right. You two, go out the back door. K9, stay with me."

Sarah Jane and Kenny run to the backdoor, leaving the Doctor crouched before K9.

.~.

Donna and Wilf are at the head computer trying to stop the code, without much luck.

They're very confused, and then Donna notices the protective casing covering the wires, winding around the walls of the room. They both follow it and realize that all the cables lead into one plug socket.

So they pull it out.

All the computers go dead and the socket explodes with sparks, "Now, we've got their attention, sweetheart!"

"Everyone get out, now!" Donna orders. The trance broken, the children immediately get to their feet and move towards the door

"Come on, move!" Wilf joins in.

Donna claps her hands, "Let's go, let's go!"

.~.

The Krillitanes bound down the stairs. They take a turn and quickly morph back into human form. Mr. Finch, Wagner, the dinner ladies and other other teachers are hurry down the remainder of the stairs.

.~.

In the kitchens, The Doctor moves the vats of oil, moving them into the same area to give K9 a maximum shot, "Capacity for only one shot, Master," K9 announces, "For maximum impact, I must be placed directly beside the vat."

The Doctor rushes over to him, "But you'll be trapped inside."

"That is correct."

"I can't let you do that."

"No alternative possible, Master."

The Doctor looks over his shoulder as he hears the screeching of the Krillitanes in the background. He looks back at K9, realizing that this is what must be done, "Goodbye, old friend."

"Goodbye Master."

The Doctor rests a hand on the dog, "You good dog."

"Affirmative," he waggles his mechanical ears and tail. The Doctor places his hand briefly on K9's head, petting him once more, and then dashes off.

K9 trundles off towards the vat.

The Doctor emerges outside and slams the door behind him, locking it with the sonic screwdriver.

.~.

As soon as Sarah Jane saw The Doctor she rushes towards him, asking him urgently, "Where's K9?"

"We need to run," he tells her, turning around and starting to run.

"Where is he?!" she demands, making no move to move forward, "What've you done?"

The Doctor grabs her and pulls her away.

.~.

Mr. Finch and his brothers enter the kitchen.

He snarls out, "When you find him...eat him if you must, but bring me his brain."

.~.

The Doctor grabs Sarah Jane's hand as they run for their lives, just like they used to.

.~.

K9 raises his head as the Krillitanes look down at him.

"The little dog with a nasty bite," he says mockingly. He bends slightly and whispers, "Not so powerful now, are you?"

K9 shoots his laser at the vat of oil causing it to explode all over the Krillitanes, who scream.

.~.

Wilfred and Donna are caught up in the crowd of children running out of the school.

They still urge to the children to leave, "Come on, guys! Let's go, let's go!"

.~.

The Krillitanes are wailing and writhing with agony.

"Burning!" The dinner lady wails in pain.

Mr. Finch growls at K9, "You bad dog."

"Affirmative."

And the school explodes.

The children assembled outside all burst into cheer and applause, Donna and Wilfred join in, hugging each other and grinning manically.

"Yes!" Kenny cheers.

Melissa turns to him, "Did you have something to do with it?"

"Yeah, I did."

Melissa's mouth drops open, "Oh my God," she turns around and shouts to the others, "Kenny blew up the school! It was Kenny!"

The children cheer even harder and start chanting, "Kenny! Kenny! Kenny!" and pat him on the back.

Only the Doctor and Sarah Jane stand separate from the merriment, "I'm sorry," The Doctor apologizes sincerely at Sarah Jane's distraught face.

"It's alright," she quickly assures, "He was just a...daft metal dog. Fine, really," but even as hard as she tries, she can't help it, she bursts into tears.

The Doctor puts his arm around her comfortingly.

Donna pulls away from her granddad and looks over at the two old friends. The realization of what happened to K9 sets in.

.~.

It's a beautiful day, in what looks like a park. Sarah Jane walks up to the TARDIS. The Doctor steps outside the doors and faces her, smiling broadly, "Cuppa tea?" he steps aside to let Sarah Jane walk through the doors.

She takes in the interior, wide-eyed. The Doctor follows her through and shuts the door behind her, bouncing with happiness at her reaction.

She turns to him and cries out, "You've redecorated!"

"Do you like it?" he grins at her, glancing at Donna, who's leaning against the console.

Sarah Jane looks around once again, "Oh, I, I do. Yeah. I preferred it as it was, but uh...yeah. It'll do!"

Donna nods, "Meh. It's okay."

The Doctor gasps in outrage, "Oi! You! What's forty seven times three hundred and sixty nine?"

Donna shakes her head, "I've no idea. It's gone now, the oil's faded."

"But you're still clever," Sarah Jane sends her a smile. The Doctor smiles, she's more than clever, "More than a match for him."

Donna smiles right back, "You and me both, Sarah Jane," the two nod at each other. Donna looks over at The Doctor, who is fiddling with the computer, as though prompting him to say something.

"Doctor...?" she presses.

He looks up at her, knowing what she wants. His face both pales and turns pink at the same time, "Um...we're about to head off, but...you could come with us."

Donna looks over at Sarah Jane, smiling expectantly, "It'll be lovely to have another woman teasin' Spaceman with me."

Sarah Jane looks from happy face to happy face, but then shakes her head, "No...I can't do this anymore," The Doctor's and Donna's smiles fade slightly, "Besides, I've got a much bigger adventure ahead! Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own," she adds on happily.

"Can I come?" Wilf peeks his head out of the TARDIS.

Sarah Jane looks surprised, "Hmm?"

"No, not with you, I mean...with you," he gestures to The Doctor, "'Cos I wanna see what's out there."

Donna smiles brightly and mouths 'Yes please!' to The Doctor.

Sarah Jane laughs, "Oh, go on, Doctor!" she encourages, "You can't say no to Donna's Noble granddad!"

The Doctor pretends to think for a moment, "Of course!"

Sarah Jane sends them all smiles, "Well, I'd better go," she takes Donna aside and The Doctor returns his attention to the computer, "If something ever happens...whenever you think you'll need me...find me, if you need to, one day. Find me."

Donna gives her a small smile, "'Course I will."

Sarah Jane smiles right back, "It was lovely to meet you, Donna Noble."

"Right back at you, Sarah Jane Smith."

When Sarah Jane steps away, The Doctor holds open the doors for her, who steps out of the TARDIS for the last time. The Doctor follows her and they stand outside for their final goodbyes, "It's daft. But I haven't ever thanked you for that time, and like I said, I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"Something to tell the grandkids," The Doctor beams.

"Oh, I think it'll be someone else's grandkids now."

He makes an awkward expression that Sarah Jane can't help but laugh to, "Right. Yes, sorry, I didn't get a chance to ask. You haven't...there hasn't been anyone...? You know...?"

She shrugs sheepishly, "Well...there was this one guy. I traveled with him for a while. But he was a tough act to follow," she laughs slightly at The Doctor's expression, but he breaks into a small smile. She looks up at him, light in her eyes and unshed tears, "Goodbye, Doctor."

"Oh, it's not goodbye..."

"Say it, please. This time. Say it."

And he looks her straight in the eyes, "Goodbye. My Sarah Jane," he throws his arms around her and lifts her right off the ground in a final embrace. One of those loving, warm, big, Doctor embraces. He gives her one last smile before heading back into the TARDIS and closing the door behind him, leaving Sarah Jane standing alone outside. The engines start up and she walks slowly away, not looking back until it has almost gone, her eyes sparkling with tears. The leaves billow in the breeze created by the TARDIS, and K9 is revealed where he must've been sitting just out of sight behind it.

"K9!" she cries out, overjoyed.

K9 trundles over to her, "Mistress!"

She crouches down to him, "But... you were blown up!"

"Master rebuilt me. My systems are much improved with new undetectable hyperlink facilities."

She beams, "Oh...! He replaced you with a brand new model!"

"Affirmative."

"Yep. He does that. Come on, you. Home. We've got work to do," she stands up.

"Affirmative."

Sarah Jane and K9 walk off into the sunset.

.~.

* * *

.~.

The Doctor had stopped at Chiswick so Wilfred could go get himself ready, Donna says he likes to look presentable before he goes somewhere he loves. The two of them wait in the TARDIS, Donna wonders where Gramps would want to go, maybe Italy? She doesn't have a clue, maybe a planet? Or a star? Gramps _does_ love space, maybe he won't pick something from the past. But she'll never know, there's endless possibilities. She'll never get over his happiness to finally travel with them, she loves it when Gramps is happy.

She emerges from the kitchen, with three cups of hot tea. She sets one down for Gramps and leans against the console where The Doctor finally looks up, "Tea? Ooh, lovely!" he grabs the tea from her hands, raising himself away from the computer and they both enter the kitchen and sit at the table.

They sit in a comfortable silence before Donna pips up, "Name them?"

And it's not a demand, it's a question.

He looks up, eyes narrowed, though he has a feeling she knows who he's talking about.

"The others. Before me."

He only gets more confused when she pulls out a piece of paper and a pencil.

"Don't stare at me like I've got three heads, dumbo. Just name them."

"What are you doing?" he asks, still not naming them. Not yet. He thinks he might bring back painful memories, how they left, all the adventures they had.

"I'm gonna get annoyed soon."

So he doesn't press on. After a moment of hesitation, he names them, in order. Not just first names or last names. Their full names. And as he does, his eyes follow the movement of her pencil. She's writing their names down too.

When he's finished, he looks at her with a soft, adoring expression. She brings the paper closer to her, looks at all the names she had just written down and mumbling quietly to herself.

"Donna," he reaches out and takes on of her hands that's on the table. She doesn't jump, of course. She doesn't stop reading either.

"Hmm?"

"How come you wrote down all their names?"

She finally looks up at him, a small smile on her face. She moves her beautiful ginger hair from her face, "Someone besides you should remember them, right? I'm gonna memorize them like you. And you can tell me about them, if you want."

He can't help but smile back at his Donna.

* * *

 **ending disclaimer:** I cried three times in this episode. First, was when The Doctor saw Sarah Jane again. Second, was when K9 got blown up, and third was when Sarah Jane and The Doctor said goodbye. This episode gave me lots of character emotions.

Ahh, yes! Wilfred Mott is _back_ and bein' a lil bean!

I'm sorry there wasn't a lot of DoctorDonna moments, but they're was some Donna and Sarah Jane bonding moments. I don't see them hating each other immediately, because they're just lovely women who love to tease The Doctor.

I reeeeaallly love Sarah Jane a lot.

"MY SARAH JANE"

The idea of Donna defending her/wondering why The Doctor never mentioned her makes me very happy. I was inspired by the scene where Donna says, 'Her name is Martha and she's not collateral damage!'

Also I made 'The Fires of Pompeii' sooner in my series instead during season four. :)

I'm very proud of the scene at the end of this chapter. I couldn't really do anything with this episode since it wasn't really a huggeee episode, but boi, do I have sooo much ideas for the next chapter!

Speaking of the next chapter, of course, the next chapter is _The Girl in the Fireplace_!

Oh my, you don't understand how much I love that episode. It's one of my top ten.

I'm really bad at ending these, so, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


End file.
